Change of Heart
by dazdnconfusd730
Summary: Years in the future, Giovanni is in control and Ash has somehow become tangled up with Team Rocket. Given an assignment he can't carry out, he is suddenly faced with a choice. Run and hide from the wrath of Giovanni, or join the fight to free the world.
1. Default Chapter

A young woman fought her way through the crowded square, seeming like a fish fighting a losing battle against the current. She pushed her way to the center of the square where a large fountain stood, towering over shoppers. The fountain was sculptured marble, carved into a horsea, squirting a stream of water from its mouth. She climbed atop the small marble rim that circled the fountain, then straightened up to her full height of 5'6". With a deep breath she began.   
  
"Team Rocket oppresses us!" she cried. "Before they came to power they were nothing but criminals. Lowlifes! What makes you think they have changed?"   
  
Few passersby turned to stare at her, while others continued their shopping, used to the young troublemaker's rants.   
  
She continued, oblivious to the lack of enthusiasm the crowd offered. "We have no privacy! Cameras are placed at every available location." True to her word, several cameras, some on buildings, others attached to streetlights, were turned on her right now, recording everything she said and did. She paced the rim of the fountain, her hands flying in dramatic gestures. "They tap our phones! Monitor our e-mail. We are forced to carry ID cards to keep us marked like cattle!"  
  
Several people had stopped and were now intently listening.  
  
"Don't you remember when we could be out past eleven and not be arrested? Don't you remember what it was like to own pokemon?"  
  
A young man who had been standing near the back of the crowd suddenly forced his way through the people, rudely jarring them from their positions without so much as an "Excuse me." He made it to the front of the assembled crowd and without warning he violently shoved the woman.  
  
She flailed her arms in a desperate attempt to remain balanced, but was unsuccessful and landed on her rear in knee deep water.   
  
"Fool!" the young man cried, loud enough for the people across the square to hear. "You do not know who you are dealing with." He turned and stalked away, leaving the startled young woman sitting in the fountain, water dripping from her eyelashes.   
  
Her face reddened with anger and embarrassment. As the crowd began to disperse she cried, "You see? They even infringe upon free speech!"  
  
She stood up, her clothes heavy with water, weighing her down. Her red T-shirt had turned the color of rust and the dye was slowly beginning to run down her waist and turn her blue jeans a light red. Muttering under her breath, she pulled her long water-logged braid over her shoulder and wrung it out. When it was dry, the braid hung loosely, falling from the nape of her neck until it reached the small of her back. But now it simply felt like dead weight, pulling on her head. She angrily climbed from the fountain, aware of the slight laughter aimed in her direction. She stormed from view, never noticing the small nick in the marble horsea caused by a bullet, which would have hit her had she not been shoved out of the way.  
  
~*~*~  
  
A pair of gray eyes watched from the shadows as a young man strode through the ally, his face obscured by the dark. A voice spoke, but didn't startle the man, for he had already sensed the other person's presence.   
  
"Do you think that was wise Satoshi?"  
  
The man turned, allowing his features to become visible. Golden brown eyes scanned the alleyway, searching for the source of the voice, while a light breeze blew his slightly longish ebony hair from his handsome face.   
  
"What else would you have me do, Shigeru? Watch her die?" the man responded as another figure appeared from the shadows, also male, but slightly older than Satoshi.   
  
Shigeru regarded him with his gray eyes. "No, I knew you wouldn't do that," he said as he laced his fingers through his auburn hair. "I don't think the boss will be too pleased though."  
  
Satoshi smiled suddenly at the small yellow pokemon that had appeared at Shigeru's feet. "Hey Pikachu."  
  
The pokemon grinned then scampered to him, using his claws to climb up Satoshi's pants and shirt until he settled himself upon his shoulder. Satoshi returned his attention to Shigeru. "The boss doesn't even know that I knew about the assassination. I simply made it seem as though I was an angry Rocket, shutting up a loud mouthed girl."  
  
After a moment of though Shigeru responded. "That's true."  
  
They began to walk from the ally and emerged into the brightly lit square once more. Satoshi smiled.   
  
Shigeru, noting this said, "What are you smiling about?"  
  
Satoshi's mouth broke into a full grin. "I was just thinking. Misty hasn't changed at all," he said, referring to the redheaded girl he had pushed into the fountain. "She's still a bossy loudmouth."  
  
"Oh, I think she's changed quite a bit, Ash," Shigeru said, using his partner's real name. A smile began to form on his lips.  
  
"How so?" Ash asked, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"Let's just say, she's *grown*," Shigeru said, his eyes bright as he forced himself not to laugh.   
  
Ash's eyes widened. "Gary!" he hissed, also using his partner's real name.  
  
At the look of horror on Ash's face, Gary broke into a fit of laughter. "Oh come on Satoshi," he said, reverting back to his code name. "You're twenty one, you're allowed to look!"  
  
~*~*~  
  
Squish, squish. Squish, squish. Her waterlogged shoes were annoying her to no end, she could feel the water in her shoes every time she took a step. She loved the water, but she loved it when she was in a bathing suit. Not fully dressed. She squished along the tiled floors until she reached a carpeted room in which a young man sat on the couch, flipping through a magazine. His dark brown hair complemented his tanned skin perfectly. He glanced up at her, bringing his hand to his square jaw. A look of confusion washed over his features.   
  
"Is it raining?" he asked, taking in her sopping clothes and her hair, which was now dripping small droplets of water onto the carpet.   
  
Her eyes became aquamarine daggers as she glared at him. "No," she said through gritted teeth. She began to pace the room. "Some bastard pushed me into the fountain!"  
  
He made sure to hide the smile that threatened to form upon his lips.  
  
"It was some goddamn Rocket!" she cried, still pacing, her shoes squishing in time with her steps. She stopped, then sat down next to the man with a dejected plop. She slumped over and rested her chin in her hands. "I don't understand why so few will listen to me, Brock."  
  
He smiled sympathetically. "They're afraid, Misty. Team Rocket has killed many of those who stand up to them. In fact, I'm becoming quite worried about you."  
  
Misty straightened up, her blue eyes becoming cold as ice. "As far as Team Rocket knows, I'm simply a loudmouth who can't even rile up a crowd. Why would they come after me?"  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ash and Gary walked silently through the streets of Cerulean. Civilians took one glance at them and shied away. Although neither of them were dressed in their Team Rocket uniforms, walking around with Pikachu was about the same as having red R's emblazoned on their foreheads. Civilians had been forbidden to posses pokemon for years, so it was obvious that one belonged to Team Rocket when he had a pokemon sitting on his shoulder.  
  
Besides the general looks of terror that were thrown his way, Ash was enjoying the walk. Which was why he was caught off guard when he was tackled from behind. Gary, help that he was, stood above him, curiously watching what would happen. Pikachu had leapt to Gary's shoulder as Ash had fallen, and he too leaned over, watching as a young boy, perhaps seventeen or eighteen, straddled Ash's back. Grabbing hold of Ash's black hair, he pressed his head into the ground and said, "It's against the law for civilians to posses or train pokemon. I hereby place you under arrest."   
  
Ash gave a muffled "Mmmph" as a response, seeing as his face was still uncomfortably forced into the ground. Meanwhile Gary and Pikachu had burst out laughing and were of no help at all in the situation. Ash struggled to free himself.   
  
Feeling the movement, the boy threatened, "I will knock you unconscious if I have to."  
  
Upon hearing this, Gary doubled over laughing, now completely incapable of talking. Ash, who had been growing exceedingly impatient, did a quick move that allowed him to turn over and gain control of the situation. Before the boy knew what had happened, Ash was out of his grip and had a firm hold of his neck. Ash glowered at the thoroughly surprised boy.   
  
"Perhaps next time you should check ID before tackling a superior to the ground and declaring him under arrest," he growled, flashing his ID at the boy, who eyes widened in horror at the realization of his mistake. Ash released him from his grip and stood, brushing himself off. "Now go, before I report you," he said.   
  
Rubbing his raw neck, the boy stood and hurried away, hoping to avoid more trouble. Ash turned to Gary who was snickering. He shook his head. "You're a big help you know that?"   
  
"What?" Gary said, shrugging.   
  
"Satoshi," a voice behind them said. Ash and Gary turned to see a tall man with green hair standing behind them, his head poking out the door of the building that they were in front of. "The boss wants to see you," the man said, his voice so scratchy it made nails on a chalkboard seem pleasing.   
  
Ash nodded at him. "Okay, Butch." They walked into the building and headed to the elevator. Ash pulled the ID he had shown the boy from his pocket and used it like a credit card swiping it through a panel, where the buttons would be on normal elevators.   
  
An electronic voice spoke. "Agent Ketchum. Codename: Satoshi." The elevator doors opened, revealing a mirror covered inside.   
  
The headquarters of Team Rocket was large, almost as big as Silph Co. before it had closed down. There were nine floors, each one devoted to a specific purpose. The bottom floor was set up to give the impression of a political office, after all, Giovanni was the pokemon master. Although many people believed he cheated to win the title. Which, Ash thought, was most likely true. Giovanni was smart though. As soon as he was sworn in, he announced the cancellation of the Pokemon League, due to "conflicting opinions." Whose opinions, or why they conflicted, was never revealed. All that was known was without the Pokemon League, there was no one who could challenge him, or take his place. Giovanni was in full control.   
  
The top floor was devoted to Giovanni himself. His huge office presided at the end of a long hallway, the only room on the entire floor. The elevator dinged and Ash and Gary stepped out, Pikachu once again perched atop Ash's shoulder.   
  
Gargoyles made out of black stone lined the hallway, each face wearing a different snarl. They were placed there to intimidate. The first time Ash and Gary had been summoned to Giovanni, the foreboding hallway had scared them senseless. That had been five years ago though, and now they sauntered past the gargoyles, hardly noticing their presence.   
  
They were silent as they walked, black leather boots making little noise on the tiled floor. Both men were dressed in civilian clothes; jeans and a T-shirt made walking through the city much easier, unless Pikachu was with them of course.   
  
Ash rolled his eyes when they reached Giovanni's door. Giovanni loved to show off, his door being a prime example. Covering most of the door was a picture of a persian. It wasn't a normal picture though, when one looked closely he could make out millions of tiny different colored jewels. Pearls made up the tan pokemon's gleaming coat and rubies were used for his charm. Other precious jewels from diamonds to sapphires, were lavishly woven into the picture.   
  
Ash rapped upon one of the few places on the door that the wood was bare.   
  
A gruff voice answered the knock. "Enter."  
  
Ash turned the solid gold doorknob and entered the room, Gary in tow. The office was as large as one's house might be, full of statues and paintings (all of Giovanni of course). The room was dimly lit, especially in the center, near the back wall, where Giovanni's desk was. A large muscular man sat behind it, thick fingers folded comfortably upon the desk. His dark black hair looked greasy, slicked back with a little to much gel. His dark eyes narrowed and he gestured for them to sit in the two chairs that sat before the desk.   
  
They each took a seat, noting that their chairs were deliberately shorter than Giovanni's, giving the 5'9" man the appearance of being taller than the them, which was a feat, considering they were both around six feet tall. They sat in silence, staring across the desk.   
  
A large persian leapt gracefully onto the desk, hardly making a noise as it landed. The cat pokemon laid across the desk, baring it's sharp teeth as it yawned lazily. Giovanni lovingly scratched between the persian's ears, avoiding the ruby red charm that adorned the cat's forehead. The pokemon purred contentedly and flicked his tail.  
  
Ash and Gary were used to this, Giovanni treated his persian better than all his agents combined.   
  
"Boys, I have a problem," the older man began, scowling slightly at the two. His voice sounded as greasy as his hair looked.   
  
Ash and Gary remained impassive, although they both had a fairly good idea about what his problem was. Giovanni fixed his gaze on Ash. "You pushed a young woman into a fountain today."  
  
Ash nodded. "She was badmouthing the organization."  
  
Giovanni narrowed his eyes. "Yes. Did you know, Satoshi, that that there were orders for her to be assassinated?"  
  
Ash feigned surprise. "What?"  
  
"I understand you and the girl used to be close friends," Giovanni continued. "I would hate to think you deliberately ambushed the assassination."  
  
"I didn't even know it was planned," Ash lied. "Besides, I would never betray this organization."  
  
Giovanni continued to stare at him. "I'm glad to hear that, because I have a new assignment for you."  
  
Ash raised his eyebrows but remained silent.   
  
"You're a good agent, Ashton. One of the best. And because you unknowingly stopped today's assassination, I'm going to give you an opportunity to redeem yourself." Giovanni paused and gave Ash a look that would have caused chills to run up the spine of a normal man. "You are to reacquaint yourself with Ms. Waterflower. Get close to her again, find out how large her operation actually is."  
  
Although Ash's expression remained impassive, his stomach had contorted into a large knot. He swallowed, his mouth having gone dry, then said, "What about Shigeru?"   
  
"He will go with you. Make up your own story about why you are together."  
  
Gary nodded. Giovanni waved his hand, dismissing them from his office. They rose and slowly headed to the door.   
  
"Oh, and Satoshi," Giovanni said. Ash turned to look at him. "When you find all there is to know, I want you to kill her."  
  
  
  
A/N: I was doing a homework assignment for history about the fact that some of American's rights may be slightly infringed upon to make it easier to find terrorists. Especially the right to privacy when it comes to tapping phones and monitoring email. As I read I began to think, what if it got out of control and America became something like a dictatorship. And then I thought that would be a great basis for a story. And here, almost a month later, is the beginning of that story. I'm sure you're all wondering how in the world Ash became involved with Team Rocket. I promise, it will eventually be explained. Just not yet. ;)   
  
Please read and review, and tell me what you think. Should I even bother to continue?  
  
Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say it? Do you honestly think I would be posting this on ff.net if I owned the characters? I would be publishing this baby and making money... (or so my bloated ego tells me). I do not own pokemon and am not making any money from this. 


	2. cha 2

Misty sighed happily. She was warm and in dry clothes. She set herself to the task of braiding her still damp hair. There was a knock at her door. "Come in," she said, staring into her mirror as she wove her red hair into a thick braid. In the mirror she saw the door open, Brock standing behind it. Misty didn't turn, instead she talked to him in the mirror. "Do you need something?"  
  
"Erika called," he told her. "She want's to meet."  
  
She tied a rubber band at the end of her braid then turned to face him. "What about?"  
  
"She didn't say. You know as well as I do that the phones are tapped." He took a seat on her bed, running a hand through his brown hair. Brock looked around her room as Misty went back to staring into the mirror. Her room was painted a pale blue, the bed spread he was sitting on matching the walls perfectly. The vanity Misty was sitting at was a shade of white, as were her dresser and the small nightstand. His eyes fell upon a picture that sat on the nightstand, encased in a silver frame.   
  
Brock picked the picture up in order to examine it more closely. The picture was of two boys and a girl. Two of the kids appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen, while the tallest boy looked older, perhaps eighteen. The girl stood between the boys, her red hair pulled into a ponytail on the side of her head. It was obviously a younger Misty. The oldest boy stood at her right, grinning madly. Of course, Brock thought, they *had* gotten a Nurse Joy to take the picture, which was probably the cause of the goofy expression on his younger self's face. The boy on Misty's left was also smiling, but not extravagantly like Brock. A Pokemon League hat adorned his head, taming his unruly black hair, which still stuck out in certain places.   
  
"Do you ever wonder what he's doing?" Brock asked Misty as he continued to stare at the picture in his hands.   
  
Misty turned, and upon seeing what he was looking at, responded, "Just about every day." She stood from the vanity and went to sit next to him. She sighed. "I wish we had kept in touch."  
  
Brock took one more glance at the picture before setting it back on the nightstand.   
  
Misty continued. "About a year after Giovanni took over I tried to contact him. But his mother didn't know where he was and he had stopped checking in with Professor Oak."  
  
Brock smiled sadly. "I never even tried to contact him. I was just so busy. Some friend, huh?"  
  
"I wonder what he's doing now?" Misty said.   
  
~*~*~  
  
Gary watched his partner and friend concernedly. Ash had hardly said anything since Giovanni had given them the assignment. He simply sat on his bed, staring at his hands.   
  
Gary and Ash shared a room. It wasn't big, but there was enough room for two beds and two dressers, which was all the two men required anyway. Gary, who had been packing, preparing for their assignment, sighed when he looked once more at his depressed friend. He sat down on his own bed, across from Ash, and leaned forward, resting his elbows upon his knees.   
  
"Ash are you okay?" he asked.  
  
Ash looked up at him, obviously upset. "I don't know if I can do this. Oh, hell, I *know* I can't do this."   
  
Gary nodded, understanding Ash's conflict. "I know. But what choice do you have? Giovanni obviously suspects that you purposely saved her."  
  
"I can't kill her," Ash said, placing his head in his hands. "You know as well as I do that I can't kill her."  
  
"Pikachu," the small yellow pokemon next to Ash consoled. Ash absently reached out and pet Pikachu between the ears, receiving a contented "Chaa..." for the action.   
  
Gary stood. "Let's go on the mission. We'll play it by ear. Hopefully we'll think of something."  
  
Ash nodded in agreement.   
  
After he was done packing, Ash flopped upon his bed and lay staring at the ceiling. He apprehensive about the assignment, not only about the fact that he was supposed to kill one of his best friends, but also that he was going to have to deceive her and lie about his current position in Team Rocket.   
  
He and Misty had been fourteen when she had received a letter from her sisters, saying that the gym was in trouble. Between the three of them, Misty's sisters had managed to spend most of the Cerulean Gym's money. Misty had to leave, she had an obligation to the gym and her sisters.   
  
After four years of traveling together, it had been a teary goodbye, at least on Brock and Misty's part. To this day, Ash still didn't know why he hadn't cried. The excuse he always came up with was that Misty was a girl, she was expected to cry. And Brock, well Brock always had been emotional. But as Ash thought back on it, he realized that he hadn't been as sad as he had been angry. He had felt as though Misty was abandoning him, which was rather ironic considering he hadn't wanted her to follow him in the first place.   
  
Guilt began to creep into his stomach, for he knew that she hadn't abandoned him. Misty most likely would have followed him until he had abandoned her, had it not been for the poor state of her gym.   
  
Brock had journeyed with Ash for another year, before duties at his own gym also called him away. Even then Ash hadn't cried. Of course, Brock hadn't either., but one could tell he was on the verge. The day he had left, he had said something that Ash never forgot, even now, six years later. "I always thought of you as my brother, Ash. I am so proud of you, the way you have grown, the trainer you have become, and the way you stand up for what you believe in, no matter how hard the circumstances." With that he had given Ash a hug, something Ash couldn't recall him doing in the five years he had known him. Then he had left, and that was the last time Ash had seen him.  
  
Once again he felt guilty, for he had let Brock down. He hadn't stood up for what he believed in, he was one of the top members of Team Rocket.   
  
Gary, also laying on his bed, cast a worried glance at his best friend, who almost seemed comatose as he stared at the ceiling. Gary wondered if Ash knew he considered him his best friend. He knew Ash didn't think of him as his best friend, Misty and Brock had always held that position. But Ash was *his* best friend even if he wasn't Ash's.   
  
He thought back to the first time he and Ash had met after Misty and Brock had left Ash to return to their respective gyms. Gary had been surprised to see Ash walking alone, save for Pikachu. Although Gary had matured greatly from when they had been kids, he could still be an ass. As he looked back on it Gary regretted it, but he couldn't let the opportunity pass by.   
  
"What's the matter Ketchum?" he had sneered, blocking Ash's way. "Did your friends finally realize what a loser you are and leave?"   
  
Ash had looked up at him, after all Gary had been taller than him at the time, and sighed. "I suppose so."  
  
Now *that* had surprised Gary. Ash had never been one to take an insult lying down. In fact, Gary was always quite pleased at the rise he could get out of Ash, just by showing his face. Gary then did something that not only surprised Ash, it had surprised himself.   
  
"Are you okay?" he had asked, genuinely concerned.   
  
And from that one phrase a friendship began. Slowly, over time, their rivalry was forgotten. Of course, they still held friendly pokemon battles, which Ash always seemed to win. He was good, Gary admitted, and although he looked small, Ash's Pikachu was one of the most powerful pokemon Gary had ever seen.  
  
From an early age Gary had realized that Ash seemed to excel at everything he did. That, he supposed, was the cause of their rivalry. Even when Gary had hated Ash, he had known Ash was an exceptional trainer, although he would never admit it. Ash had relationships with his pokemon that Gary could only dream about.   
  
Ash, as Gary later found out, had also turned out to be an amazing martial artist. He had picked it up quickly and was very good after only a few days. Unfortunately for Gary, he hadn't figured this out until he had been paired against Ash at Rocket Training Camp. He had woken up a day later with a splitting headache, a sore back, and a sheepish looking Ash standing over his bed.   
  
Ash was also incredible when it came to using a wooden staff, which was the only weapon he would use. He absolutely refused to wield a gun. This ability, combined with his martial arts skills, and his talent for pokemon training allowed him to rise quickly through the ranks of Team Rocket. He was one of the- no, Gary decided, he was most likely the best agent Giovanni had.   
  
Unlike Ash, Gary preferred a gun. He never used it unless it was absolutely necessary, especially with Ash's aversion to guns, but when it came down to it, he was a crack shot.   
  
When he had been partnered with Ash, Gary had been surprised. But since day one, almost five years ago, they became inseparable.  
  
Gary dosed off, but Ash remained awake, still staring at the ceiling, thoughts of his friends running through his head.   
  
~*~*~  
  
"Don't you think you look a little conspicuous with your bow on your back?" Gary asked as he and Ash wandered into the Cerulean Gym.   
  
"What would you have me do with it, Gary?" Ash asked. "Fold it up and stick it in my bag?" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.   
  
Ash felt his backpack stir slightly. "I know it's uncomfortable, Pikachu, but it'll be pretty obvious what I've been up to if I saunter in with you on my shoulder." He hoped to keep Pikachu hidden from Misty, so she wouldn't be able to guess his line of work. He and Gary had left their other pokemon at Rocket Headquarters. Ash had insisted upon bringing his bow, and Gary's gun was well hidden in it's holster under his coat.   
  
The smell of chlorine filled the air. "We're near the pool," Ash told Gary. Sure enough his words echoed off the tiled walls of the pool room. The walked into the room, which was taken up by a vast pool which stretched almost from one end to the other. Above them were skylights, allowing the sun to illuminate the room and bounce of the crystal clear water. Not a ripple was on it. As soon as Ash thought that Gary was pushed into the pool, causing the calm water to become extremely choppy.   
  
Ash easily whipped his staff from the leather holder that attached around him at about his waist. He was silently grateful it had been Gary who was pushed in, for he knew Pikachu would have been less than happy to end up in the water. He spun his bow once for a better grip as he turned to face the attacker. He came face to face with a young woman who was angrily glaring at him with piercing blue eyes. Her red hair hung in a loose braid down her back. He recognized her at once.   
  
Misty also recognized the man in front of her. "You!" she cried, her eyes narrowing. "You're the jackass who pushed me into the fountain."  
  
A slight splash behind him and a loud "Blech!" told him that Gary had climbed from the pool.   
  
Misty began to advance on him, most likely wanting to pay him back for her earlier unwanted bath.   
  
Ash spun his bow, creating a moving shield to keep her at bay. He was already too close to the edge of the pool for his liking. He grinned as she stopped, apparently not wanting to be hit by the quickly spinning rod. "Yes I pushed you. And you might have thanked me," he said, knowing it would rile her up.  
  
"THANKED YOU!" Misty screamed in rage. She looked as though she was going to tackle him, spinning bow or not.   
  
"Oh, good job, Ash," Gary said sardonically. He stood, a few feet away, wringing out his dripping wet clothing. "Piss her off even more."  
  
Misty became silent when she heard the man call the jerk in front of her Ash. Her jaw dropped. "Ash?" she said, examining him closely.   
  
He cracked a lopsided grin. "What? Did you forget me over the past seven years?" he said, reaching over his shoulder and placing his staff back into its holder.   
  
"Where have you been?" Misty cried as she ran up to him and hugged him, nearly pushing them both into the pool.   
  
"Okay," Ash said, sliding them both away from the pool. "Water is bad."  
  
Misty released him from the hug and began to barrage him with questions. "Where were you? What are you doing here? Why did you push me into the goddamn fountain?"   
  
Ash raised a hand to stop her. "It's a long story."  
  
Misty's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh! Come with me!" she said excitedly, grabbing his hand and pulling him. Bewildered, Ash allowed her to lead him through the gym. Ash looked behind him to see Gary following, apparently disgruntled about his sopping wet clothes.   
  
Misty pulled Ash along, taking him through twists and turns, until suddenly stopping at a closed door. She grinned at him, looking as though she might burst from excitement, then knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in," was heard from inside the room and Misty pushed the door open, abruptly pulling Ash with her. They entered what looked like a guest room. A bed sat in the center of it and a few bureau drawers hung open. What surprised Ash though, was the man standing in front of a mirror that was mounted on the wall, brushing his dark brown hair.   
  
"Brock," Misty said, barely able to contain her delight. "Look who's here!"  
  
Brock glanced from the mirror and did a double take when he saw the young man standing next to Misty. "Ash?" he said in astonishment, setting down the brush. He appeared to be at a loss for words. Then he said, "You're so tall." The last time Brock had seen Ash, he was still only around 5'5".   
  
"I didn't know you were here, Brock," Ash said, avoiding eye contact. He had let him down. This man, who thought of Ash as a brother. He had been proud. Of *him*. If Brock knew what he had become, he would hate him.   
  
But Brock didn't know, and he welcomed Ash happily, with a hug. "We were just talking about you," Brock told him.  
  
"Really?" Ash said softly, still avoiding his gaze.  
  
Gary, who had been standing in the background the entire time, noticed Ash's sudden discomfort. "Okay," he said, interrupting the reunion. "I'm wet. I don't like being wet."  
  
The attention left Ash and was placed on him. Although the other two didn't notice, Gary saw the look of gratitude Ash sent him.   
  
Misty, who had forgotten the other man in all the excitement, now examined him closely. He looked familiar, but it was difficult to tell. After all, as he had said, he was wet. "Who are you?" she asked.  
  
Ash spoke up. "Uh, you both remember Gary, right?"  
  
Misty and Brock gave Ash incredulous looks.   
  
"Gary *Oak*?: Brock said in disbelief. "What are you doing with *Gary Oak*?"   
  
"Hey," Gary said indignantly. "I'm right here."  
  
"Gary and I met up not long after we split up," Ash said, beginning the explanation with the truth, but planning to end it with the story they had made up. "We resolved our differences and we've traveled together ever since. We came here because we want to start a rebellion. Giovanni's rule has gone on long enough. I figured you might have some connections with gym leaders, Misty. We can use all the help we can get."  
  
Misty and Brock exchanged glances, then they smiled. "It's interesting you should say that Ash," Misty began. "Why don't you go get cleaned up, Gary, then we can talk."   
  
~*~*~  
  
Ash paced the room Misty had showed them to. She told them they could stay at the gym as long as they wanted. Gary pulled on one of Ash's dry shirts, seeing as his had all been drowned in the pool with him. He was fortunate they were the same height and build.   
  
"Ash stop pacing you're making me dizzy," Gary said.   
  
Ash shook his head. "I had no idea Brock was here. I can't do this. We have to leave. Now."   
  
Gary walked over to him and grabbed him by his shoulders. "Get a grip." He was startled to see tears forming in the young man's eyes.   
  
"Misty's bad enough," Ash whispered. "But not Brock. I can't lie to him. If he finds out what I'm involved in, he'll be crushed. He believed in me, Gary. He thinks of me as his brother and you know what? He's like the older brother and the father I never had. I don't want him to hate me."   
  
Gary sighed, his hands still on Ash's shoulders. "Ash, I know you feel like you betrayed him, but you know as well as I do, you and I had very little choice when it came to Team Rocket. They were targeting you from the very beginning."  
  
Ash looked away. "But look at me Gary. I'm one of the best. I thrived in Team Rocket, and that shouldn't have happened."  
  
"Oh, come on, Ash," Gary said. "You thrive at everything you do. If you had suddenly decided to become a Nurse Joy, I have no doubt you would have pulled it off with very little trouble."  
  
Ash smiled at the ridiculous thought. "You know what? I'm really glad we put our differences behind us, Gary. You're probably the best friend I've ever had."  
  
Gary dropped his hands from Ash's shoulder's, thoroughly surprised by the statement. Then he smiled. He went back to changing, pulling on a pair of Ash's jeans. Then picked up his gun and slid it under his mattress. "Let's go."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Misty and Brock sat next to one another on the couch in the living room, waiting for Ash and Gary to return. Brock frowned.   
  
"What's wrong?" Misty asked, noticing his expression.   
  
"It's just..." he trailed off. "I can't believe Ash and Gary are friends. He was always such and asshole, especially to him."  
  
Misty shrugged. "They made up. I think it's great."  
  
Brock continued to frown.   
  
Misty watched him curiously then suddenly it hit her. "You're jealous!" she blurted out.  
  
Brock looked at her, surprised. "What?"  
  
"You're jealous of Gary, because he and Ash have been traveling together for the past six years, and you haven't been there with him," Misty said. It was suddenly so clear.  
  
Brock sighed. "I guess so. During our journey, I kind of adopted you and Ash, you know. You guys were like my little brother and sister. I was the one who took care of you two, made sure you ate right, and didn't kill one another." Misty smiled at that. "But I haven't been there for Ash in the past years, and he's grown without me, and now he has Gary. Every time I think of Gary I think of an ignorant little kid who has no regard for anyone's feelings, especially Ash's. I just hope that Gary isn't using Ash to further his own means."   
  
"Ahem," a voice said. Brock looked up to see Ash and Gary standing in the door way. Gary looked furious as he sat down across from them in a comfortable chair. Ash remained impassive, although Brock could see a glint of anger in his eyes. He was hurt that Brock didn't trust Gary, and that he would say something so mean about his closest friend. Ash and Gary had only heard the last few sentences of Brock's conversation.  
  
"Let's get down to business shall we?" Ash said, his voice colder than it had been thirty minutes ago.   
  
  
  
  
A/N: What do you think? Was it chalk full of emotion or what? Hehe. Ok, there will be action very soon, I promise. I needed to get some of Ash's past out though. What do you think about Gary? By the way, Llyxius, I have no clue why, but I don't think this story was on the first page for some reason. I was a bit confused about that myself. Well, please read and review. 


	3. cha 3

"Gary," Ash said, later that evening as they both lay in their beds. "I'm sorry about what Brock said earlier." It was dark, but neither of them were asleep, as each lay awake contemplating their own thoughts. Pikachu, who was cuddled next to Ash, rolled over, trying to find a more comfortable position. Ash heard a grunt from across the room, where Gary's bed sat.   
  
Then Gary spoke. "Don't be sorry. Most of what he said was true. I am ignorant and I have little regard for other's feelings."  
  
Gary heard a rustle of cloth, obviously Ash, propping himself up on one elbow. "That's not true! You've proven yourself to care about others' feelings at least three times in the past six years."  
  
Gary smiled at the jest and Ash began to laugh. Soon Gary was laughing too. When they had calmed, Ash lay back onto his back and said, "So, Misty's operation is definitely larger than Giovanni realizes."  
  
Gary agreed with a soft, "Mmm."   
  
Ash and Gary had been amazed to find out that Misty and Brock had begun a full scale underground rebellion. Including herself and Brock, she had managed to convince five of the former gym leaders to join. It had also surprised them to learn that the rebellion consisted of over a thousand people and was rapidly growing. Misty and Brock had informed them of a meeting with one of the gym leaders, who played a major role in leading the rebellion.   
  
"It is fortunate they trust us," Ash observed.  
  
"They trust *you*," Gary corrected.   
  
~*~*~  
  
Ash and Gary followed Misty into her room. "What's going on?" Gary asked, when he saw Brock already in her small room, standing next to a raven haired woman.   
  
Gary furrowed his eyebrows as he examined the woman, she seemed familiar, but he couldn't place her. Her shoulder length black hair hung loose, only restricted by a red headband. She wore a silk green kimono, which hung to her feet, concealing her shapely body. Her eyes matched her kimono and had a slight twinkle in them when she examined Gary, but abruptly changed when her gaze fell upon Ash.   
  
Misty dropped to her knees and pushed the pale blue comforter covering her bed back, allowing her to see underneath it. She lay on her stomach and began to slide under, until all of her that was visible was her legs, clad in jeans.   
  
"Are we holding the meeting under your bed?" Gary asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.  
  
"In a manner of speaking," Misty replied, her voice muffled as she pulled open an earlier unseen trap door.   
  
Gary raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Cool."  
  
Ash noticed Brock shoot a glare at Gary, who, upon seeing it, sent one right back. Gary and Brock hadn't been getting along well, especially after Brock's comments the previous night.   
  
Misty pulled him from his thoughts by climbing from under the bed and pushing it to the side, in order to give them enough room to climb through the trap door. Brock entered first, a flashlight in hand, climbing down the stairs that had been revealed when the door was opened. He was followed by the dark haired woman. Misty waved at Gary and Ash to follow and they too began to descend the stairs. Misty climbed into the hole, then moved the bed back into position and closed the door behind her.   
  
The stairs were narrow and made of stone, descending deep underground. It was dark, with nothing to light their way but Brock and his flashlight at the front of the group. The gloominess almost made Ash wish for Pikachu, seeing as his flash would probably illuminate the entire stairwell. He pushed that thought away though, knowing that is was best if Pikachu remained hidden in their room. Ash didn't feel guilty about leaving the little pokemon alone, Pikachu always found ways of entertaining himself. When they had left he was deeply engrossed in a game of solitaire.   
  
They continued to walk in silence and the stairs opened up into a brightly lit room. It wasn't big, an overhead lamp hung over top of a circular table that was surrounded by five or six chairs. In the corner a computer sat, turned off at the moment.   
  
Turning off his flash light with a click, Brock walked around the table and took a seat. The other's followed his example, Misty and Ash on either side of Brock, Gary next to Ash, and the raven haired woman next to Misty. Ash and the young woman made eye contact. He nodded in acknowledgement and said a curt, "Erika."  
  
"Ash," she said, also nodding.   
  
Gary instantly noticed the tension between the two, but didn't say anything. Brock and Misty also seemed to notice the obvious agitation stirred up between them, and they both seemed surprised, leading Gary to believe that neither of them knew the cause.   
  
"Okay, Erika," Misty said, breaking the silence that had descended upon the group. "What did you want to meet about?"   
  
Erika cast a wary glance at Ash and Gary before turning to Misty and saying excitedly, "We've found him!"  
  
Brock and Misty instantly lit up, but Gary and Ash exchanged perplexed glances. Noting this, Misty elaborated. "The Elite Four have gone into hiding due too the bounty Giovanni has placed on their heads," she began.  
  
Ash and Gary both nodded, having been there when Giovanni had issued the order.  
  
Misty continued. "With the number of our forces, we believe we could instigate a successful rebellion against Giovanni. But we feel that if we had the Elite fighting with us we could tip the scales to our advantage."  
  
Ash raised an eyebrow, intrigued, while Gary leaned back into to his chair, his hands folded.   
  
Brock picked up where Misty left off. "We've been searching for Bruno, the second of the Elite Four. He was rumored to be seen somewhere on route ten. We're hoping that he will know where the remaining three are."  
  
Erika entered the conversation. "We haven't made contact, I was leaving that for you. He's hiding in the rock tunnel, in one of the deeper canyons."   
  
Brock nodded. "We'll go and find him. Hopefully we can convince him to join us."  
  
~*~*~  
  
It was late that night before Ash and Gary had a chance to talk.   
  
"Their operation is pretty large," Gary said, pulling his shirt off. He was grateful that his clothes had finally dried.   
  
Ash, nodded from his seat on his bed. He was already changed, wearing black sweatpants and a black T-shirt. He seemed distant, staring at the wall.   
  
"Ash?" Gary asked as he finished changing. He had removed his jeans and was now wearing more comfortable black sweatpants and a large gray T-shirt.   
  
Ash pulled himself from his thoughts and said, "They could actually do it."  
  
Gary furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "Do what?"  
  
"Defeat Giovanni."  
  
Gary stared at him from across the room, saying nothing.   
  
Pikachu hopped from Ash's lap as he stood up. "I mean, if they get the Elite Four to join them, I think they could do it." He paused and looked at Gary. "What if we joined them? We could overthrow Giovanni."  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, excited about the prospect of quitting Team Rocket.   
  
Gary stood, slightly stunned at Ash's idea. He recovered from his stupor. "And if we loose? He will do what he threatened and the past six years will have been for nothing."  
  
Ash sighed, looking at the floor. "I'm tired Gary, tired of being a Rocket."  
  
Gary sadly shook his head. "I know, so am I." He paused. "Let's wait and see what happens with the Elite. Don't commit to something before we know what's going on."  
  
Ash sighed again, he really didn't know what to do. He walked to the door, opening it.   
  
"Where are you going?" Gary asked, watching him curiously.   
  
"I don't feel like sleeping right now," Ash said, before walking into the hallway and pulling he door closed behind him.   
  
He blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the sudden lack of light the hallway provided. He then began to walk, not really certain where he was heading. His bare feet made no noise on the cold linoleum floor. He stopped at a window and watched as a cloud slowly began to cover the moon. It wasn't long before his ears picked up a light, almost inaudible noise. The soft rustle of clothing led him to believe he wasn't the only one walking around the gym at night. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a female form walking towards him. He remained where he was allowing her to come to him.   
  
A sweet aroma began to waft into his sense of smell. He turned his head to see Erika standing next to him, not looking at him, but staring out the window.   
  
She was beautiful, especially when the cloud that was covering the moon shifted, bathing her in a soft glow. She was wearing a silk robe, cream, like her complexion. She lacked her red headband; her hair was pulled up into a sloppy bun, loose strands of hair sticking out.  
  
They stood in silence, both staring out the window. Erika broke the silence after a few moments. "Was there someone else?" she asked, still not looking at him.   
  
"No," he said plainly.  
  
"Then why?" she asked, turning to him.  
  
"I can't explain," he told her softly.  
  
Erika studied him, her green eyes full of hurt and betrayal.   
  
Ash closed his eyes, not wanting to meet her gaze. He had hurt her, and he knew it.  
  
After Ash had joined Team Rocket, he had moved around a lot. He and Gary were stationed where they were needed. He had been at Viridian, Lavender Town, Cinnabar Island. For a while they were even stationed in a small room on the SS Anne. When he had gotten the call, telling him to pack up and head to Celedon, it hadn't phased him in the least. Just another assignment. Ash had been nineteen at the time.   
  
Being in a new city always made Ash restless. A few nights after their arrival in Celedon, Ash, unable to sleep, left the new apartment he and Gary shared and went for a walk. Gary and Pikachu had remained in the apartment, neither really feeling like heading out into the brisk night.   
  
Ash had wanted coffee. True, coffee was not the best thing for a man who was having trouble sleeping, but he liked coffee. Ash recalled stumbling upon a quaint little coffee shop, empty, save for a beautiful young woman, who sat alone at the counter, staring into her coffee mug. He had joined her and struck up a conversation. Any dream of sleep Ash had had was shot, for they talked well into the morning. As soon as he had given her his name she remembered him as the young boy who had saved her gloom years ago.   
  
They had started out as friends; two lonely people keeping one another company. It wasn't long before they progressed from friends, to a couple, to lovers.   
  
Ash didn't know why, but he never told Gary about Erika. He had kept her a secret, she was something special, something he didn't want to share. Erika intrigued him, maybe because the only female he ever really had a lot of contact with was Misty. But Misty was more of a tomboy, with a quick temper, and a mean left hook. Erika was more delicate, she was like a flower that must be handled gently, lest it would wither and die.   
  
Then, he had received another phone call. His skill had captured the attention of Giovanni and he and Gary were to move to Cerulean.   
  
It was one of the hardest decisions he had to make, but in the end he had left her without so much as an explanation. One day he was there, the next he was gone. He had thought it better to simply leave, rather than try to explain where he was going. In short, he was a coward.   
  
"Was it me?" Erika asked, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.   
  
Ash looked her in the eyes. "No," he said sincerely.  
  
Her expression became angry and she shoved him hard against the wall. That in itself was a feet, considering she was almost a head shorter than him. "Then what the hell was it?" she cried. "It's bad enough you left without so much as a note, but now you don't even have a reason why!"   
  
Ash was contemplating an answer when the window they had been standing at moments before shattered. Ash threw himself around Erika to protect her from the thousands of flying glass shards. When he looked up, two muscular men dressed in black stood before them, red R's emblazoned across their chests. The dark made their features impossible to make out.  
  
Ash watched as they each released a rope, the he realized what had happened. They had repelled down from the roof and swung through the window. Soon the two men were joined by others, who had run up the stairs after apparently using the conventional entrance of the door. Now there were about seven Rockets all facing them, all armed with rather large guns.   
  
One of the two men that had repelled in spoke. "Satoshi Ketchum, you and Shigeru Oak are under arrest for treason to Team Rocket."   
  
Ash narrowed his eyes, curious as to how Giovanni could have possibly known that treason had crossed their minds. Erika stood in stunned silence, confusion settling over her.   
  
"What's going on?" Ash heard an angry voice call from behind him. The lights in the hallway suddenly flicked on, causing Ash to shade his eyes from the sudden brightness. He glanced over his shoulder to see Misty, closely followed by Brock, quickly walking towards them. Both were in bathrobes and appeared to have been roused from sleep.   
  
"Team Rocket!" Brock cried when they reached them. He took a protective stance in front of everyone, including Ash. "What do you want?"  
  
One of the Rockets, a blonde man with blue eyes spoke. Ash noted it was the same voice who had declared him under arrest. "We want nothing to do with you. Stay out of it and we will leave you unharmed, for now."  
  
Brock growled slightly, looking as though he had no intention of staying out of it. Ash placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let me handle this," he said, stepping forward again.   
  
"Where is Shigeru?" the Rocket asked, his eyes narrowing.   
  
"I don't know," Ash lied.  
  
"Agent Satoshi, do not force me to have you shot," the man said, impatience in his tone.   
  
Brock and Misty exchanged worried glances.  
  
"What the hell!" an annoyed voice called. "Can't a guy get any sleep around here? People yelling, lights going on, Team Rocket Agents repelling through windows."   
  
Ash looked behind him to see Gary sauntering towards them, pushing his way between Misty and Brock, Ash's bow in hand. Ash rolled his eyes. "Could you be anymore conspicuous, Shigeru?" he asked, taking the bow from him.  
  
"What would you have me do, Satoshi?" Gary asked, a smirk on his face. "Fold it up and hide it behind my back?"  
  
"Do you take anything seriously?" Ash asked.  
  
"Not really," came the reply.  
  
Brock, Misty, and Erika stood a few feet behind them, completely confused. Why were they calling one another Shigeru and Satoshi? They watched as Gary and Ash began to bicker.   
  
"What the hell are they doing?" Brock hissed to Misty, who shrugged as she stared at them.   
  
They weren't the only one's confused though. As Brock watched, the Rockets slowly began to lower their guns, unsure of what to do.  
  
"It certainly took you long enough to get here," Ash snapped.   
  
"I was sleeping," Gary retorted, a slight whine in his voice.   
  
"Could you be more of a child?"  
  
"Me a child? Honestly, you act like you are THREE!"   
  
On the word three, Ash took a running start and used his staff to vault over head of the Rockets. At the same time, Gary whipped his gun from the holster and steadily shot each gun from the Rocket's hands until every Rocket was unarmed. One man quickly reached for his dropped gun, but Gary shot the ground, only inches from the man's hand. "Do it and I'll shoot your hand off." Gary smirked as he cocked the gun.   
  
Brock, Misty, and Erika's jaws dropped. "It was a diversion," Brock said, realizing what had happened.   
  
The Rocket's turned on Ash, seeing him as the lesser of two evils since he had a wooden stick, while Gary had a gun.   
  
Brock headed foreword to help, but Gary reached out an arm and caught him against the chest, stopping him. "Better let him handle this alone," Gary said to him.  
  
"But," Brock said, protesting. "It's seven against one."   
  
"Believe me," Gary said as he lowered his arm. "Seven is no big deal."   
  
Ash spun his bow to keep the Rockets back, the same way he had done with Misty, as he slowly backed away from the advancing attackers. Two Rockets suddenly lunged at him and he used his bow to his advantage, jabbing one in the stomach, while hitting the other with a well placed high kick to the head. Each fell to the floor with a grunt.   
  
The five remaining Rocket's began to second guess themselves. They had heard of Satoshi's skill. This time three Rockets charged at him, obviously not learning from the mistakes of their teammates. Ash dodged one and smashed his bow into the back of his head. He crashed to the ground, unconscious. Ash then used his momentum to swing his bow, knocking the feet out from under the second. The third was older, wiser, and better trained. He stood a good distance away, making sure he was out of reach of Ash's bow. Unfortunately he was the perfect distance for Ash to take a running start. When he was a few feet away from the bewildered Rocket, Ash planted the staff to the ground and his momentum carried him foreword, allowing him to slam both feet into the man's chest. The man grunted and fell, unceremoniously as Ash landed gracefully next to him.   
  
Now the only two conscious Rocket's remaining were the two who had repelled through the window, one of them the apparent leader. They stood facing everyone. Ash was carefully watching them, his back to his friends. The leader sneered "I've had enough." Without warning, the quickly pulled hand guns from their jackets, each aiming at Ash's forehead. Ash heard Gary quickly click the safety off his own gun.   
  
"Consider carefully," the leader called to Gary, his blue eyes shining almost triumphantly. "Whichever one of us you shoot, the other will kill your partner, before you can do anything about it."   
  
Gary hesitated, his gun still aimed at the blonde haired leader. The leader waved his gun at Ash. "Go stand back there with your partner," he said, a grin forming on his face as he glanced at Ash's bare feet. The floor between Gary and Ash was littered with broken glass.   
  
Misty, Brock, and Erika stood behind Gary aghast and helpless as Ash began nonchalantly walking across the glass. They cringed, although the glass didn't seem to have an effect on Ash as he joined Gary. He leaned against his staff as he lifted a foot and brushed it off, revealing a foot with not so much as a scratch.   
  
The leader narrowed his eyes at his failed attempt at torture and he kept his gun pointed steadily at Ash's forehead. They were in a stale mate, no one could move without someone being shot. Ash sighed and leaned against his staff like one would a walking stick, almost as if he was bored. The leader, seeing this as a sign of resignation, grinned and said cockily, "Any last words before we take you to Giovanni?"  
  
"Only two," Ash said, shrugging. He paused, then said, "Thunder wave."  
  
The two Rockets seemed confused until a yellow pokemon sprinted from behind Misty, Brock, and Erika, where he had apparently been hiding. The Rocket's confusion became fear when they saw Pikachu's brown eyes narrowed viciously, and his cheeks sparking. "Pikachu!" he cried as he released a powerful thunder wave at the Rockets. They fell to the ground, unconscious, joining the rest of their team.   
  
Ash fell to one knee in order to pet Pikachu. "Nice job," he said softly. The pokemon climbed upon his shoulder and Ash stood up, turning slowly, his bow still in hand. "Time to face the music," he muttered to Pikachu.  
  
When he turned he saw Gary holstering his gun, and behind him stood Brock, Misty, and Erika, all visibly upset. If they had had any doubts, Pikachu made it obvious of Ash's involvement with Team Rocket. Misty was the first to find her voice. "You're in Team Rocket?" she asked softly. She sounded like a child who had just discovered the truth about Santa Claus.  
  
Ash nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.   
  
Misty cast her gaze to the floor.   
  
Ash looked at Brock, who was avoiding his gaze. "Brock..." he began, before trailing off.   
  
"I thought I knew you," Brock said softly, pain obvious in every syllable he uttered. "But I was wrong. You have betrayed us and you are more of a stranger now than when I first met you."   
  
"Brock," Ash said, trying to explain, but Brock cut him off.  
  
"Just go."  
  
Ash cast his eyes to the floor, then back to his friends, who were all actively avoiding eye contact. He sighed, then without another word he turned and left, without so much as going back to his room for his belongings, or even his shoes.   
  
Gary, on the other hand remained where he was, angrily glaring at them all. "You're supposed to be his friends!" Gary cried infuriated, upset at the way Brock had treated Ash.  
  
Brock removed his gaze from the floor and glared at Gary. "That is not the same Ash we knew," he said stonily.  
  
"Bullshit," Gary said forcefully, startling them all. "He's still Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, a good man, with a good heart."  
  
Misty and Erika said nothing, but Brock was hurt and angry, and Gary was only proceeding to piss him off even more. "Anyone in Team Rocket has no heart."  
  
"How dare you!" Gary cried, almost in a rage. "You have no idea!" He lowered his voice, although his gray eyes were still flashing with anger. He pointed a shaky finger at Brock. "Ash thinks of you as his older brother, or even the father he never had, and you judged him without even giving him a chance to explain."  
  
Brock suddenly shot an accusing glare at Gary. "I bet you're the reason he joined," he said, taking a step forward. "You always were no good, Gary, you probably tricked him into joining."  
  
"If you only knew," Gary said through gritted teeth. He turned, preparing to leave before he did something he would regret, namely shooting Brock. He stopped. "He didn't have a choice you know," Gary said, his back to them.   
  
"Everyone has a choice," Brock replied softly.  
  
Gary closed his eyes and shook his head at Brock's stubbornness. "You know what, you are right. Ash isn't the same person you knew. The day he joined Team Rocket a part of him died. He was forced to join an organization that stood for everything he was against." Gary paused. "He is losing himself more every day, I can see it when I look at him, talk to him. The Ash you knew *is* dead, and this one, he's barely holding on to life anymore." With that he walked away, leaving them alone with the seven Rockets Ash had rendered unconscious.   
  
  
  
A/N: Well, this one took a lot longer, but it is probably the longest chapter I have ever written for any story. And yes, it is possible to walk on glass, I've seen it done live. What did you think about Ash and Erika? I don't know where that came from, it just popped into my head. I don't even know if there's a shipping for it. Anyway, I thought I'd leave the choice up to you all, do you want to see Ash and Erika get back together, or shall Ash and Misty give it a go? Please review, it's all I have to live for. (Well not really, but I LOVE reviews all the same!). 


	4. cha 4

*Sorry to disapoint you, but this is not a new uploading. I just wanted to reload this because I think many of you may have missed this chapter. Never fear though, I am working on Chapter 5 as we speak.(Or is it as we type?)*  
  
  
  
  
Misty sighed tiredly as she flopped onto the couch. They had been up all night. After Gary and Ash had left, Misty had called the police. Of course the police were under the control of Giovanni, which explained why there were no Officer Jennies on the force anymore. The Jennies were too respectable to become involved in something as corrupt as Team Rocket.   
  
The gym had been full of people all night. Policemen taking pictures and helping the Rockets. Misty had heard nothing but questions for the past three hours. The one question she found difficult to answer was the one asked most frequently. How were the Rockets all knocked out?  
  
For some reason, Misty couldn't bring herself to finger Ash, or even Gary. She told the truth... partially. A Rocket and his partner turned on the rest of them. Misty just didn't add the fact that she knew them, or that they had been staying at the gym. Erika told the police the same thing Misty had.   
  
When Brock also collaborated her story, Misty was surprised. He had been so angry and hurt, but he too protected Ash.   
  
The police had finally left only moments earlier and Brock, Misty, and Erika sat in the living room, each exhausted from the night's events. The sun had risen a half hour before, and Misty closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth as it streamed through the window. She began to drift into the welcome darkness of sleep when a soft knock came from the door. Misty opened her eyes. Brock was next to her, apparently asleep. Erika sat slumped in a chair across from them, the TV remote in hand. When Misty shot her a questioning gaze, she shrugged.   
  
The knock came again, slightly louder this time. Misty sighed and forced herself to stand, her legs heavy as she trudged to the door. The walk down the hallway seemed incredibly long when she was so tired, and by the time she made it to the door, the person behind it had begun knocking again.   
  
She pulled the door open to reveal Gary, looking exhausted and bedraggled, leaning against the door frame with one arm. His auburn hair was tousled, and his gray eyes seemed to lack some of the luster they had had the last time she had seen him. He was still dressed in his nightclothes.  
  
Misty said nothing, and an awkward silence settled over them.   
  
"I came for our things," Gary said softly.  
  
Misty moved aside, allowing him to enter. "Where's Ash?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she shut the door behind him.   
  
"I don't know," Gary admitted, running a hand through his hair before dropping his arm limply to his side. "I searched for him all night; I couldn't find him."  
  
Misty began to walk with Gary to the room, hoping to continue the conversation. "Do you think he went back to Team Rocket?" she asked.  
  
Gary shook his head. "Only if he has a death wish."  
  
She stopped short. "What do you mean?"  
  
Gary also stopped walking. "We had been considering it, but once we fought back against those Rockets we became traitors. Traitors to Team Rocket are punished by death." He began walking down the hall again.  
  
Misty remained still, contemplating the statement before jogging to catch up with Gary. "I don't understand," she said as they reached the door.  
  
Gary opened the door and entered. "What don't you understand?" he asked, his back to her as he began to pick up all the clothes that were strewn about the floor. Two days there and the room already looked like their room at headquarters.   
  
"Didn't Ash join so Giovanni wouldn't kill him? Why would he suddenly become a traitor if that will accomplish the same thing?" Misty asked, following him with her eyes as he walked around the room.   
  
Gary glanced at her over his shoulder as he began shoving his clothes into his bag, not bothering to fold them. "Who told you that's why Ash joined?"  
  
Misty shrugged. "I just assumed."  
  
Gary turned to Ash's side of the room, repeating the process of shoving unfolded clothes into Ash's bag. "You shouldn't assume things," he said, not looking up at her as he struggled to make all the clothes fit.   
  
"That's not why he joined?" Misty said, a hint of surprise in her tone.  
  
Gary stopped packing and turned to her, studying her with his head slightly cocked. "For people who claim to be his best friends, you certainly don't know him very well."   
  
He stared at her for a moment longer before breaking eye contact with her. "Ash would have died before joining Team Rocket, if that had been his option. Join or die. No question there. Of all people I would have thought you would have realized that."  
  
"So why did he join," Misty asked, quietly, realizing the truth of Gary's words.   
  
Gary zipped his bag closed, then straightened up, slinging his it over his shoulder. "Maybe you should have asked him before assuming what had happened in the last seven years of his life and tossing him out." He picked up Ash's things and left the room.  
  
Gary and Misty walked to the front door in silence. He opened it and stepped out.  
  
Misty wanted to say something, but was uncertain of what. "Good-bye, Gary," she said softly, fairly sure this was the last time she would see him, or Ash for that matter.   
  
He turned to look at her. He went to say something but was interrupted by a shout from Erika. "Misty, come quick!"   
  
Misty cast a quick glance at Gary before turning and quickly jogging back to the living room, her braid trailing behind her. She entered the room noting that both Erika and Brock were sitting on the edges of their seats, watching the television intently.   
  
Misty turned her gaze onto the TV which depicted a burning building. As they watched, the building next to it suddenly exploded and was soon also being engulfed by red and orange flames. A voice began to speak.   
  
"Once again, this is live footage of Pallet Town, which was apparently attacked earlier this morning. Bombs have been exploding, any building that is still standing seems to either become blown up or set on fire. Barely a house or public building has been left standing."  
  
They sat, stunned at the sudden horrific news.  
  
"We have to do something," Brock said, unable to tear his eyes from the screen. "Giovanni is out of control. Now he's randomly destroying towns."   
  
As Misty watched what remained of the once thriving town burn, she suddenly realized what Gary had been trying to say. "There was nothing random about this," she said, still watching the television as the flames began to burn higher, licking at the sky.  
  
"What?" Brock asked in confusion.  
  
"Don't you find it rather odd, that the day after Gary and Ash betray Team Rocket, their hometown is suddenly destroyed?" Misty asked.   
  
Brock tore his gaze from the television and looked at her, the obvious connection dawning on him. "Mrs. Ketchum, Professor Oak, Tracey, they are all there."  
  
Misty hung her head. Then she remembered Gary. His sister, May, and his grandfather. He deserved to know what had happened. She quickly ran into the hallway and to the door. She skidded to a stop, her socked feet allowing her to slide much farther than normal. Misty flung the door open and quickly stepped outside. She was too late; the streets and sidewalks were empty. He was already gone.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Gary quickly ducked down a darkened ally as a squad of Team Rocket agents marched by. He had run into quite a few lately, making him assume they were scouring the city for Ash and himself.   
  
Fortunately for Gary and Ash, being highly ranked in Team Rocket allowed them to know the best places to hide. Especially when one didn't want to be seen by one of the numerous cameras that had been placed all over the cities.   
  
That's why Gary chose this particular ally. It was one of the few alleys that wasn't being monitored by cameras. He remained quiet, crouched in the shadows as another squadron marched by. Each squad consisted of about eight Rockets, dressed in their black Team Rocket uniforms, marching in two rows of four. They were all armed, hand guns clearly visible in holsters around their waists.  
  
Gary released the breath he had been holding when they had passed. It was then he sensed another's presence in the ally. He stood up slowly, his hand on his gun. He turned quickly, his gun pointed Ash's forehead. Luckily for both of them, as quick as Gary was with pulling the trigger, he was just as quick with holding himself back. He dropped his arm, placing his gun back into his holster.   
  
"I've been looking for you everywhere," Gary told him softly, in case more Rockets were around.   
  
"I just needed to be alone for a while," Ash said. A small squeak from the pikachu on his shoulder caused him to add, "Well, not completely alone."  
  
Gary nodded, understanding. "Ash, Pallet..." he trailed off, staring at the ground.   
  
"I know," Ash said, his voice barely above a whisper. "They haven't found any survivors yet."  
  
"We never even should have thought of betrayal. Now our families and hundreds of innocent people are dead, and we're on the run," Gary said, anger and frustration combining in his voice.  
  
Ash suddenly furrowed his brow. "How did he know we were considering treason?"  
  
"I think it was pretty obvious when we attacked our teammates," Gary said, slightly sarcastic.  
  
"No," Ash said, shaking his head, deep in thought. "They knew before that," he said as he recalled the Rocket announcing he was under arrest.   
  
"Then that means-" Gary fell silent as another group of Rockets marched by.   
  
When he was sure they were gone Ash finished Gary's thought. "He must have bugged us."   
  
Both he and Gary looked at the bags Gary had slung across his shoulder. Gary quickly set them on the ground and he and Ash searched them for the device.   
  
"Got it," Ash said, after a few moments as he held the small black bug up. It fit between his forefinger and thumb. He stood, dropping it to the ground then Gary smashed it with the heel of his boot.   
  
This reminded Ash he had no shoes on and he sat down on the cold cement, pulling on his boots and lacing them up. "That means Giovanni heard everything we said, including the location of Bruno," Ash said as he stood up, brushing himself off.   
  
"So he knows where one of the Elite Four is," Gary agreed. "He'll send agents after him."  
  
"Then I guess we'll have to find him before Team Rocket does," Ash said.  
  
They both ducked behind a trash can as yet another squad of Rockets passed the alleyway.   
  
"Or before Team Rocket finds us," Gary muttered.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Sneaking out of a city that was crawling with Team Rocket agents and full of cameras was much easier said than done. Ash and Gary had a few very close calls as they snuck their way through the city, hoping to remain unnoticed.  
  
They were fairly inconspicuous as Pikachu was now in Ash's back pack. The only thing that really made them seem anything but normal was Ash's bow. They did their best to remain in dark ally ways, and out of sight of many of the cameras.   
  
The trip out of the city was silent for the most part. Both men had lost his family earlier that day and Ash had lost two of his best friends. Each simply wanted to be alone in his thoughts.  
  
It wasn't long before the buildings began to become smaller, the traffic less. They had reached the outskirts of the city and the beginning of Route 9. Rock Tunnel was a day's walk from Cerulean, and they needed to get there as soon as possible.   
  
Ash and Gary were used to traveling long distances with little or no rest. They were careful to remain out of sight as often as possible; one never knew who was a Rocket agent. They walked the entire night and arrived at Rock Tunnel in the early hours of the morning. The sun was just beginning to rise and the world around them appeared to be a dull shade of gray. A light breeze rustled the trees and foliage that very near hid the entrance to the tunnel. Ash pushed the vegetation aside and entered, Gary following close behind.  
  
Although the entrance was small, forcing them to duck to enter, the opening immediately opened into a huge cavern, at least twenty feet in height. It was dark, making it almost impossible to see the many tunnels that were attached to the cavern.   
  
"Pikachu, use flash," Ash said. Although he spoke at a normal volume, his words echoed loudly off the large walls. Ash's bag shifted as Pikachu climbed from it and took his position on Ash's shoulder. The room was suddenly brightly illuminated by the light emanating from the little pokemon, allowing each stalactite and stalagmite to become fully visible.   
  
Ash looked around the familiar cavern, remembering the last time he and Gary had been there. Over two years ago, Giovanni had sent Ash and Gary on a mission to map out Rock Tunnel, from the main cavern to every hidden tunnel. They spent over a year wandering the vast number of passageways and underground caverns. They knew everything there was to know about Rock Tunnel, including where Bruno was currently hiding.   
  
When the Elite Four had refused to join Giovanni, he had placed a bounty upon their heads. They had taken their pokemon and fled, each going into hiding. Ash and Gary had stumbled upon Bruno's hiding place, a cavern deep inside Rock Tunnel. Needless to say, when Bruno saw two Team Rocket members enter his new abode, he did not welcome them with open arms. He had, in fact, charged at the two of them, and seeing a six foot man with more muscles than a machamp barreling at you was a slightly scary sight. Gary never was one to allow himself to be beaten to a pulp, which was why he had pulled his gun from it's holster and pointed it at Bruno. Although the large tanned man could probably pick up a train and throw it, the gun did the trick, stopping him in mid-run.   
  
Ash and Gary really had no intention of turning Bruno in. This was a man they had both grown up idolizing, each believing they would eventually beat him in a pokemon battle. After he realized they meant him no harm, Bruno was quite friendly. He had, after all, had no human contact in over a year.  
  
Ash and Gary had left Bruno with the promise not to reveal his location, and they hadn't. They even went so far as to not map out the cavern he was hiding in, nor the tunnels that led to it.  
  
The rustling of foliage and the murmur of voices caused Ash and Gary to turn towards the entrance. Ash could make out a bit of the newcomers' conversation.   
  
"How are we going to find him? These tunnels are like underground mazes." It was a female voice. A very familiar female voice.   
  
As they watched, a young woman ducked through the entrance, a long red braid trailing down her back. She was followed by another young woman, this one with black hair, pulled back by a red headband. Behind her came a tall man, pushing his brown hair from his eyes.   
  
Their banter stopped abruptly when they saw Ash and Gary standing in the center of the cavern. They were hard to miss, considering the only source of light in the cavern was emitting from them.   
  
They all remained silent for a moment before Misty said, "Ash, Gary. Pallet Town..." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.  
  
"We know," Gary said softly.  
  
Brock, although he now believed Ash had been forced into Team Rocket, still wasn't sure where his loyalties lied, and he still didn't trust Gary. "What are you two doing here?" he asked suspiciously.   
  
Ash remained silent, not really wanting to become involved in a conversation. He was still hurting deeply from his last encounter with Brock.   
  
"We're looking for Bruno," Gary told him, not without bitterness in his voice.  
  
"To turn him in?" Misty asked.  
  
"No, to protect him. Team Rocket knows he's here," Gary said.  
  
"Oh, and how did they find out?" Brock said accusingly.  
  
"They *bugged* us," Gary snapped, tired of his snide attitude. "Why don't you get some facts before you go throwing around accusations?"  
  
"What are you going to do?" Brock sneered. "Shoot me?"  
  
Gary went to lunge for Brock, not wanting to shoot him, but to punch him into unconsciousness. Ash grabbed his arm, restraining him. "Knock it off, both of you," he said angrily.  
  
Everyone looked at him in surprise. He continued. "You're acting like children. Brock, you may think what you like about us, I doubt I could change your opinion." He was tired of Brock's superior attitude towards Gary and himself. "We did what we had to and, though I regret it, there is nothing I can do to change it. Right now we all have a common goal, to find Bruno before Team Rocket does."   
  
He turned and headed for the tunnel he knew would lead him to Bruno. Gary cast one more cold glance at Brock before following him.   
  
Erika watched them go, and the shadows began to settle around them the further Ash got from them, taking his light source with him. "You know," she said. "Pikachu is a much better light source than these flashlights." They each glanced down at the flashlights they all held.   
  
Misty looked at her, then at Brock, then she took initiative. "Ash!" she called.  
  
He turned and stared at her, his golden brown eyes boring into her blue ones.  
  
"Can we come with you?" she asked, slightly worried he would say no.  
  
He shrugged. "Fine."  
  
Misty and Erika ran to catch up with them, Brock following, but at a slower pace. The group walked in silence, venturing deep into the earth, each individual's footstep echoing off the stone walls. The tension between Ash, who led the group, and Brock, who was bringing up the rear, was thick.   
  
Misty was unused to having to be peacekeeper, that was always Brock's job. She spoke. "Erika, you said he was in one of the deeper caverns right?" Erika nodded and Misty looked around. "Ash, maybe we should take that tunnel," she said, pointing to her right at a tunnel that seemed to lead downward.   
  
Ash glanced at her over his shoulder. "Sure, if you want to end up a few thousand yards away from where Bruno is."  
  
"How can you be sure?" Erika asked. "He could be anywhere."  
  
"No," Gary intervened. "He could be exactly where he was the last time we saw him."  
  
"You saw Bruno and didn't turn him in?" Brock piped up, a hint of astonishment in his voice.  
  
Gary glared at him over his shoulder. "Yes, we evil villains did something good," he said, his voice dripping in sarcasm.   
  
Brock was about to comment when the ground began to shake. The group stopped walking, trying to remain balanced upon the rapidly shaking ground. Then the wall near Brock began to crack, starting with one thin crack which began to grow and spread, as cracks on glass often did.   
  
Realizing what was happening Ash dove, knocking Brock to the ground, just as a what appeared to be a large boulder burst through the rock wall. Rock and dust scattered all over the tunnel covering everyone. Ash and Brock struggled to their feet, now separated from the others by the boulder, which if one looked closely was actually a head. The head was attached to a long line of boulders, which formed to create a giant snakelike body.   
  
The onix wasn't completely out of the tunnel it had dug. It's head protruded from the hole, roaring and thrashing about wildly, nearly knocking Ash and Brock back off of their feet. Pikachu, who had leapt from Ash's shoulder when he dove to push Brock out of harms way, quickly climbed back up his master's pant leg and onto his shoulder once more.   
  
"What do we do?" Ash heard Brock ask over the onix's roars.  
  
"Stand up against the wall," Ash commanded him.  
  
"What?" Brock asked questioningly.  
  
"Just do it!" Ash called.  
  
Brock did what he was told, standing with his back against the rock wall.   
  
"Pikachu, use thunder shock, aim for it's eyes!" Pikachu hopped from Ash's shoulder and launched the attack in midair. Although it was Pikachu's weakest electric attack, the thundershock was powerful and hit the onix square in the eye. It roared in pain and rage and began to slither into the tunnel ready to chase the small yellow rodent that had nearly blinded it.   
  
Pikachu landed back on Ash's shoulder and Ash took off running, trying to stay ahead of the fast moving onix. Ash ran until the tunnel suddenly opened up into a large cavern. He skidded to a stop, gaining traction on the dirt floor and stopping right before he slid off a cliff. Ash was fortunate he remembered this cavern. The cliff was at least a hundred foot drop, right into an underground lake. He moved away from the tunnel entrance as the onix angrily tore through it.  
  
Unlike Ash, the onix was much bigger than him, and once its momentum had started, it was next to impossible to stop quickly. It slid right off the cliff and landed in the water below with a splash. Ash sighed with relief and leaned against the wall, allowing himself to catch his breath, Pikachu still on his shoulder. Pikachu's ears perked up and soon Ash's inferior ears could detect the sound of running coming from the tunnel. He watched as Brock darted from the tunnel entrance. Realizing he was about to fall off a cliff, he stopped abruptly, his boots sliding about a foot before they gained any traction on the ground.   
  
Brock quickly walked the rest of the way to the cliff and anxiously peered over. The onix was far below sitting in the water, which wasn't deep enough to cover it completely, roaring angrily. Upon seeing the onix thrashing around in the water, Brock cried, "Ash!"  
  
"What?" Ash answered from behind him.   
  
Brock whirled around to see Ash, leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. A look of relief crossed Brock's features. "I thought you had fallen."   
  
Ash glared at him stonily, the brunt of his anger with him coming to a full boil. "Sorry to disappoint you. There's one more for your list."  
  
Brock's jaw dropped, surprised at the comment. The sudden arrival of Gary, Misty, and Ash, interrupted anything else that either man might have said. Gary strode to the edge of the cliff and looked approvingly at the roaring splashing figure that was the onix.   
  
He nodded, apparently impressed. "Original," he said, as he pulled his gaze from the rock pokemon.  
  
Mist and Erika noticed Ash's sudden angry countenance as he continued to glare at Brock.   
  
"Let's go," he said coldly. He pushed himself from the wall and headed back into the tunnel, looking for the passageway they had missed on the mad dash through the tunnel. The passageway that led to Bruno.   
  
  
  
A/N: I'm sorry that took so long. A slight case of writer's block and a large case of too much school work really held me up on this one. I received a review asking me why I don't inform people when I post new stories. I decided that if you would like me to email you when I post a new chapter or story just specify that in the review and leave your email address. As promised, I'm going to write the next chapter of Hidden in Plain Sight, meaning the next chapter of this could be a while. Sorry. Please keep in mind I have exams next week so not much writing will be accomplished. Thanks for sticking with me, please review. 


	5. cha 5

It wasn't long until the tunnel they were in opened up into a large cavern. Makeshift torches were scattered along the walls and in the center of the cave was a sleeping bag, next to it a large rock apparently being used for a table. The only thing missing, Ash noticed, was Bruno himself.  
  
Ash was alone, for in his anger he had quickened his pace and left the rest of the group a good distance behind. Even Pikachu had elected to stay behind with Gary, for the yellow rodent never liked it when his trainer was angry. He wasn't worried about them, for he knew Gary remembered the way just as well as he did.  
  
Ash soon discovered Bruno's whereabouts when a massive arm wrapped around his neck, tightening around his throat and nearly choking him.  
  
"I don't know how you got past my onix, but it's no matter, I'll kill you now," a gruff voice said as his hold on Ash's neck tightened even more, restricting Ash's airways causing him to gasp for air.  
  
Ash quickly elbowed Bruno in the stomach before he could suffocate him. Bruno was caught off guard and Ash grabbed hold of the large arm that had been choking him moments before, and, using all of his body weight, managed to flip Bruno over his back and onto the floor.  
  
Bruno lay on the floor, not quite certain as to how he had ended up on his back. Then a young raven haired man stood over him, grinning as he rubbed his raw neck. "Hey, Bruno," he said cheerfully.  
  
"Well!" Bruno said as he sat up. "If it isn't little Ash." He caught sight of the auburn haired young man that had just entered the cavern. "And wee Gary!"  
  
Ash and Gary rolled their eyes. They were hardly little. In fact the growth spurt that Ash had had at sixteen had placed him around six feet. Gary too was nearing the six foot mark, but next to Bruno, who stood at at least 6'5", they did seem small.  
  
Bruno stood up, awing Misty, Brock, and Erika, who had entered the cavern behind Gary. He playfully ruffled Ash's hair, his arm rippling with muscles.  
  
"How have you been?" he boomed pleasantly, a bright smile upon his rugged face. The smile quickly disappeared when he noticed the other three people in the cavern. "Who are they?" he asked, giving them each a suspicious glance.  
  
"They're friends Bruno," Ash told him, although the glare he directed at them led Bruno to raise his eyebrows.  
  
Bruno scrutinized them for a moment before returning his gaze to Ash. "So why are you here? For a minute I thought you were some bad Rockets." Bruno had dubbed Ash and Gary "good Rockets."  
  
"That's why we've come," Ash told him. "They know that you are here. You have to leave."  
  
"How could they know?" Bruno asked, perplexed.  
  
"It's a long story," Gary interjected.  
  
Bruno was completely taken aback, his whole world flipped upside down once again. He ran a hand through his lengthy brown hair. "But where will I go?"  
  
"Well," Misty said, gathering up her courage and taking a step forward. "We've started a rebellion and we could use your help. You and the other Elite." She paused, twirling her braid with her finger, a nervous habit she had developed over the years. Being in the presence of a man who was not only so physically powerful but who was one of the top pokemon trainers in the world, was making it more than a little difficult to not be nervous. "We were hoping you might know the location of the other Elite Four."  
  
"Of course I do," Bruno said impatiently.  
  
Misty's eyes lit up. "You do?"  
  
Bruno nodded, deep in thought. "A rebellion, eh? Take that no good Giovanni out of power." He paused, then looked up, obviously enthused. "Let's do it. I'm tired of living in this hole."  
  
The three former gym leaders, now rebellion leaders all grinned, excited that they now had an Elite on their side.  
  
"Where are the other Elite?" Brock asked.  
  
Bruno looked thoughtful. "Well, Agatha, took refuge in the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town."  
  
Gary snorted. "Rather obvious wasn't she?"  
  
Bruno shrugged then continued. "Lorelei has taken refuge in the underground caves of Seafoam Island. Lance is more difficult to track down. Only Lorelei will know his exact position." It was truly unfortunate, that a week before Giovanni's takeover Lorelei and Lance had gotten married. They were forced into hiding and haven't had a chance to see each other for years.  
  
After a pause Bruno said, "I just need to get Onix, then we can leave."  
  
A sheepish grin formed upon Ash's face at that. "Um, Bruno, about your onix..."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Although they were expecting Team Rocket to attack, Ash and Gary were surprised to enter the cavern that led to route ten and see at least twenty- five armed Rockets scrambling about.  
  
The Rockets were just as surprised to see them.  
  
"Agents Satoshi and Shigeru?" A blonde woman said questioningly. She flicked one of her blonde ponytails over her shoulder. "An added bonus. Imagine how pleased Giovanni will be when I not only bring him Bruno, but the two traitors as well."  
  
Ash silently drew his bow and Gary moved his hand to his gun.  
  
"An active imagination you have there Cassidy," Gary quipped.  
  
"Are you two actually going to fight?" Cassidy said, and amused twinkle in her blue eyes as she took note of their drawn weapons. "You may be good, but I have twenty-five agents here, all armed."  
  
"I wonder if those metal guns conduct electricity," Ash said, loud enough for Cassidy to hear. Gary shrugged, a small smirk on his lips.  
  
"Pikachu, thunderwave!" Ash called.  
  
Pikachu leapt from his shoulder, releasing a powerful thunderwave at the Rockets, each man screaming painfully as electricity flowed through his body. The attack stopped and it was silent for a moment. A few of the men wavered, but remained standing, while almost ten of them collapsed.  
  
"I think that evened out the odds," Ash told Cassidy as he ran towards the remaining men, skillfully hitting them with his staff, knocking their guns from their hands.  
  
A handgun skittered over to Gary's feet. He picked it up and turned to hand it to Misty, but she shook her head. "I don't know how to use a gun," she said.  
  
He looked at her incredulously. "You're leading a rebellion and you don't know how to use a gun?" He moved his gaze to Brock and Erika, who also shook their heads.  
  
"Unbelievable," Gary muttered. He didn't have time to dwell on this newfound information though, for the Rockets had recovered from their stupor and began shooting at him.  
  
"Take cover!" he called to them as he took off running, a gun in each hand. He dove behind a boulder as the bullets from a machine gun followed him, barely missing his heels as he ran. Using the boulder for cover, he began picking off each gunman, shooting him in the arm if possible.  
  
Pikachu had taken cover with the others behind a boulder similar to the one Gary was using to protect himself from the flying bullets. They watched as Ash made quick work of the remaining Rockets who hadn't been shot or electrified. He was surprisingly graceful as he slammed his staff upon the back of one Rocket's head while using his forward momentum to send a high kick at the man behind him. It wasn't long before only three Rockets remained standing, two whom were being taken care of by Ash with a swift kick to the abdomen and a blow to the head with his staff. The other Rocket, Cassidy, stood a good distance behind him, her gun aimed at Ash's back, her finger tensing on the trigger.  
  
The soft click of a safety unlatching by her ear caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Gary, his gun poised at her temple.  
  
"Hand it over," he said, his free hand stretching in front of her.  
  
She scowled and placed the gun in his hand.  
  
"Thanks," he said as he smashed the butt of his gun into the back of her head. She fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.  
  
Gary looked up to see Ash had been watching them, an amused grin on his face as he leaned casually upon his staff. "Thanks," he said placing his bow back into its holder.  
  
"Hey, I've got your back, Gary said, grinning as he too holstered his weapon.  
  
Bruno stepped over the unconscious bodies that were strewn across the floor and joined them as Pikachu reclaimed his position upon Ash's shoulder. Brock, Misty, and Erika rose from behind the boulder they had been using for cover.  
  
Gary glanced at them, shaking his head. "Ash, we have a problem."  
  
"What?" Ash questioned, looking curiously around the cavern.  
  
"None of them can shoot a gun!" Gary said, gesturing at Brock, Misty, and Erika.  
  
Ash stared at them for a moment, then threw up his hands in exasperation. "I should have known." An expression of painful regret covered his features as he turned and stalked out of the cavern, Pikachu clinging to his shoulder.  
  
Gary shook his head before following him. Bruno shrugged, then he too headed out of the cave. Brock and Misty exchanged bewildered glances at Ash's reaction before Misty began to run after him, Brock and Erika on her heels.  
  
"Ash!" Misty called when she had exited the tunnel. He was walking down the path at a steady speed and didn't stop when she called him. She continued running until she had caught up with him. Gary and the others remained behind them, although the others allowed Gary his space, for he, like Ash had suddenly become downcast.  
  
"I don't see what the big deal is," she said, taking long strides in order to keep up with his pace.  
  
He shot her a sideways glance. "You are in charge of a rebellion and you don't know how to wield a weapon. I guess it's safe to assume that none of your troops know either?"  
  
Misty's silence was his answer.  
  
"Misty, what did you expect to do?" Ash said with a sigh. "Walk up to Giovanni with a large group of unarmed people and demand he give up his office?"  
  
"We have been concentrating on finding the Elite Four, we haven't really had a chance to discuss weapons."  
  
"The Elite Four will only be able to help you so much," Ash told her. "Their pokemon won't last long against Team Rocket, not with all of the pokemon they have, not to mention their weaponry."  
  
Misty was silent. Ash sighed. "If I had known this I would have never suggested we betray Giovanni. Now my mother, Pallet Town-" He stopped abruptly, not wanting to think about the fact that he was the cause of the death of not only his mother, but of so many other innocent people.  
  
Misty noticed Ash's sudden discomfort. "Don't worry, Ash," she said. "You can teach us. We'll learn how to use weapons, and Giovanni will be defeated."  
  
Ash was silent for a while. "I think I know someone who can help us."  
  
"Us?" Misty inquired. "Are you joining us then?"  
  
"You're going to need all the help you can get," he told her.  
  
Lavender Town was only a short walk from Rock Tunnel and they arrived in less than an hour. Although Lavender had always been considered a "ghost" town, it had only recently begun to live up to it's name. The streets were deserted, the houses empty. The only noises that could be heard were from the nearby Pokemon Tower, where the ghosts, now the only residents of the small town, were literally having a howling good time.  
  
"What happened to this town?" Bruno asked incredulously. He had been in hiding and did not understand why there were no human or pokemon inhabitants, save for the ghosts.  
  
"After Giovanni took over, the testing on pokemon increased," Gary began, shaking his head at the mere thought. "Many times the pokemon would die from the experiments. We believe their souls came here and, along with other ghost pokemon, they haunt the tower."  
  
"So?" Bruno said shrugging. "Ghost pokemon have always haunted the tower."  
  
"The pokemon that are killed by Team Rocket are angry spirits," Ash explained. "They began not only haunting, but causing physical harm to those who entered the tower."  
  
"Physical harm?" Bruno questioned.  
  
"First it was little things," Gary told him. "A man received a concussion from a candlestick that was dropped on him. But they gradually became more dangerous; a woman was viciously stabbed, and a man was killed after the newly installed chandelier fell on him, crushing him."  
  
Misty and Brock both glanced at Ash, who appeared undaunted by this fact. That Ash was alive today was a miracle to both of them. They had been sure he was dead when they had discovered him lying motionless under the chandelier over ten years ago. Both knew more had happened that night than Ash admitted, although he never had told them what.  
  
"Do you think Agatha will still be in there?" Erika asked softly. "What if the ghosts attacked her?"  
  
Bruno shook his head. "Agatha has a way with ghosts. I think she would get along even with these dangerous spirits."  
  
When they arrived at the tower they stood in silence for a moment as the eerie laughter of the ghosts was carried to their ears by the wind.  
  
Although it was only mid afternoon, the area around the tower was dark, giving the tower the illusion of night.  
  
Misty stared at the tower, a sense of foreboding washing over her. Feelings long forgotten began to work their way to the surface, making her feel incredibly vulnerable. It was here, that fateful night at this tower that Misty had discovered she had feelings for Ash. When she and Brock had found Ash's still form lying under the chandelier she thought she had lost him, and, to her great surprise, she suddenly felt that she could not live without him. Although she had hidden her feelings the entire time they had traveled, they had only grown during the time she had spent with him. Once she left him, Misty had repressed her feelings, for the pain she felt when she had to say good bye would have remained with her the rest of her life. Now, the dull ache that began to grow in her heart told her that her feelings had not subsided over the years. If anything they seemed to have intensified.  
  
"You four stay out here," Ash told them. "Gary and I will go find Agatha."  
  
Gary cast an apprehensive glance at the tower. Unlike Ash, he had never been inside and the fact that there were ghosts in there killing people didn't make him exactly eager to go in. "I would like to thank you for volunteering me for this Ash," he muttered. He followed Ash as he made his way to the tower's wooden doors.  
  
The others watched as Ash slowly opened the doors and Pikachu leapt from his shoulder ready to investigate the inside of the tower.  
  
The door groaned when Ash opened it, protesting to its use. Ash and Gary cautiously followed Pikachu, who stood in the center of the room, ears twitching as he listened for ghosts. The door slammed shut behind them, seemingly by itself.  
  
"I bet that happens a lot here," Gary muttered.  
  
Ash nodded then made his way to the large staircase that began in the center of the room. Ash noted that the chandelier had not been replaced since it had fallen the second time. He began to climb, Gary following behind him, Pikachu between them. Ash had made it half way up the stairs when he heard Gary say, "Ash..."  
  
He turned and came face to face with the barrel of Gary's gun, which was floating in midair. Gary watched anxiously from a few steps below.  
  
"Ash, get down!" Gary cried as the trigger began to tighten.  
  
Ash ducked as the gun fired, a bullet slamming into a wall on the second floor. The gun then turned and was aimed at Gary, who also ducked as a shot was fired at him. Ash began to run up the stairs, Gary down, as the gun began to randomly shoot at both of them.  
  
Misty's stomach tightened into a knot when she heard gunfire coming from inside the tower. Muffled yells could be heard, but most distinctly, Misty heard Gary cry "Ash!" Her mind running wild with the possibilities of Ash being hurt, she began to run to the tower, trying to open the doors. The others followed her and began to help, but the doors would not open. Not even Bruno could get them to budge. Erika closed her eyes, feeling almost faint as she too contemplated the idea of Ash being hurt. A bright flash was seen from the second story windows and then the gunfire stopped.  
  
"Pikachu!" Ash called as the pokemon scrambled up the stairs after him. "Thunderbolt! Aim for the gun!"  
  
When Pikachu reached the top of the stairs he quickly turned releasing a powerful surge of electricity. The attack hit the gun. The form of a gengar appeared for a moment, before quickly disappearing. Gary stood up and looked around cautiously, before picking up his gun and holstering it.  
  
Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder as he waited for Gary to climb the stairs. Once Gary had joined him Ash turned and continued down the upstairs hall.  
  
"Where exactly are we going?" Gary asked after he had been following Ash for a few minutes.  
  
"Right here," Ash replied stopping in front of what appeared to be a solid wall.  
  
Gary stared at him as Ash lightly ran his hand over the wall. "I see," he said. "Agatha has hidden herself in a room that has cleverly disguised itself as a wall."  
  
"Something like that," Ash muttered.  
  
Gary shot him a confused glance. Noting this, Ash elaborated. "There's a room behind this wall. The ghosts lived and played there. There is no door in, the only way in is too be a ghost or too get pulled in by one."  
  
As if on cue a purple hand materialized from the wall, seized hold of Ash's wrist and yanked him through. Pikachu leapt to Gary's shoulder as Ash disappeared. "Ash!" Gary cried. He quickly felt the wall, but it was solid.  
  
Ash never got used to the feeling of moving through a solid object. Granted he hadn't done it since he was ten and had had a rather disconcerting out of body experience in this very tower. He shook his head to clear his mind and was not surprised to find himself in a brightly lit room that greatly contrasted from the rest of the tower. It was much as he remembered it; the carousel in the center of the room was slowly spinning as the swing set moved back and forth by itself, or, more likely, invisible ghosts.  
  
"Why did you bring him here?" a female voice asked.  
  
Ash looked curiously for the source of the voice, but saw no one.  
  
"Haunt?" another voice replied to her question.  
  
Ash turned towards the new voice and came face to face with a floating purple head and hands, its two large eyes looking questioningly at him.  
  
"Haunter?" Ash said, recognizing him as the pokemon who had followed him years ago.  
  
Haunter grinned at him before turning upside-down and sticking his tongue out at Ash. He then floated over to the swing set.  
  
"You seem to have a way with pokemon," the female voice said. Again Ash looked for its source and almost missed her. There, standing on the still spinning carousel, stood an older woman, her arm wrapped around one of the poles for balance. She came into view then quickly disappeared as the carousel continued to turn.  
  
"Agatha?" he asked as she was brought back into view.  
  
"Ah, so you have a purpose," was the simple reply.  
  
"Bruno told me you were here," he told her, hoping to gain her trust.  
  
"Bruno?" she said, her tone now interested. She stepped from the carousel, standing a distance away from him. The light gray kimono that was wrapped around her matched her hair. "What of him?" she asked, regarding him curiously.  
  
"A rebellion is forming against Giovanni," Ash told her, talking a step forward. "We sought out Bruno and he has agreed to help us."  
  
"So that is how you knew where to find me," she said, her wrinkled features calm. She seemed intrigued as she studied him. "But how did you know of this room? Not even dear Bruno, nor my other colleagues were informed of its existence."  
  
He shot her a grim smile. "I've been here before."  
  
A surprised yet pleased look appeared upon the old woman's face. "You must be very trusted by ghost pokemon to have been brought here."  
  
Ash shrugged. "Something like that."  
  
"Well, young man, shall we exit the premises and rejoin my old friend Bruno?" she said as she walked to him and laced her arm through his. He smiled then led her to the wall.  
  
"Haunter dear," Agatha said, casting her gaze to the purple pokemon that sat, or rather floated above, the swing. "Would you be so kind as to pull us through?"  
  
"Haunter!" the pokemon eagerly agreed. In a matter of moments they were on the other side of the wall, face to face with a befuddled Gary.  
  
"Gary, this is Agatha," Ash introduced, motioning to the woman on his arm. "Agatha, Gary."  
  
Agatha nodded a hello as Gary simply gaped. That was twice in ten minutes he had seen someone walk through a wall.  
  
"Pikapi!" Pikachu said excitedly, taking his place on his trainer's shoulder.  
  
Agatha glanced at the yellow rodent. "I was under the impression that civilians were not allowed to posses pokemon."  
  
Ash grinned. "I never said I was a civilian."  
  
Agatha looked impressed. "How intriguing."  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Ash, can't *you* teach us?" Erika said, looking nervously at Gary, who stood not far from her, leaning against a tree, a grin spread across his face as he twirled his gun on his finger.  
  
"No," Ash replied from his position sitting next to Bruno and Agatha, an amused expression on his face.  
  
"Why not?" Misty questioned; Gary was making her feel as uneasy as he was Erika.  
  
Ash looked up at her, petting Pikachu, who sat contentedly in his lap. "Because I don't know how," he stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"What?" Brock said incredulously. "You got mad at us for not knowing how to shoot a gun and you don't even know how?"  
  
Ash said nothing as he shrugged, leaning back against a tree.  
  
Gary stopped twirling his gun. "Ash has a black belt in martial arts and is an expert at using his bow. He doesn't need to know how to shoot."  
  
"Well," Misty said hesitantly. "Can't we learn how to use a bow?"  
  
"Misty, it took him years to get as good as he is, and Ash is a quick learner. We don't have that kind of time," Gary said logically.  
  
"Besides," Ash said. "Gary's a crack shot, if you want to learn how to shoot a gun, he's the best."  
  
An hour later, Ash, Bruno, and Agatha, watched bemusedly as Misty, Brock, and Erika each took turns trying to shoot a rather large target that Gary had painted on a tree. Brock and Erika were making slow progress, their bullets at least hitting the outer color of the target. Misty, unfortunately, was lucky if she hit the tree.  
  
As Gary adjusted her grip yet again, he noticed Pikachu climb onto Ash's shoulder as he stood and began the trek to the path they had left long ago. They were in a secluded part of the forest, where no one would be able to hear the gunshots.  
  
"Okay, Misty," Gary said, keeping his eyes on Ash. "You try again, I'll be right back." Gary glanced at her and upon seeing the nervous look plastered upon her face and the death grip she had on the gun, changed his mind.  
  
"On second thought," he said, prying the gun from her clenched hand. "Let's keep the gun with me." Gary holstered the gun then jogged over to Ash.  
  
"Where are you going?" He asked.  
  
Ash glanced around Gary to see Misty, Brock, and Erika deep in their own conversation while Bruno and Agatha were busy catching up.  
  
"I'm going to see about getting us some weapons," Ash told him.  
  
"Weapons? From where?" Gary questioned.  
  
Ash looked at him pointedly, and at once Gary understood. After years of friendship they could almost read one another's thoughts.  
  
"Are you sure we can trust them?" Gary said, quietly, so the others wouldn't hear.  
  
"They are our friends. I think they will help us," Ash told him.  
  
Gary nodded.  
  
"I will meet up with you guys in a couple of days," Ash informed him. "Continue towards Fuchsia, and stay off of the main roads.  
  
"Okay," Gary agreed. "Good luck."  
  
With a short wave Ash headed off, and he and Pikachu quickly disappeared into the trees.  
  
Gary turned and headed back to the rest of the group.  
  
"Where did Ash go?" Misty asked, her expression curious.  
  
"He'll be back soon," Gary said. He glanced at Bruno, who was sitting next to Agatha, deep in conversation. "Bruno, do you want to learn how to shoot?" he asked, interrupting them.  
  
Bruno glanced up at him. "No, I am fine."  
  
"Bruno it could be important for you to know how to shoot, strength might not be enough," Gary argued.  
  
Bruno stood, rising to his full height and towering over them. He walked slowly to Gary and removed the gun from the holster around the auburn haired man's waist. With a click he removed the safety then aimed at the target Gary had painted.  
  
Gary looked in astonishment to see a bullet hole in the center of the target. Bruno handed him the gun, then returned to Agatha, who was grinning in amusement.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ash had to smile at the irony of his situation. He was sitting in a dark ally of the city he had just fled from, waiting for the two people he had once considered his greatest enemies to come and help him get weapons for a rebellion against the man he used to work for.  
  
"Satoshi?" A voice from the shadows said, pulling him from his thoughts.  
  
"I'm here," he answered, standing up, Pikachu on his shoulder.  
  
A woman stepped into the dim light, a worried look upon her face. Her long red hair cascaded down her back. Although she was now eleven years older than the first time he had met her, she still maintained her fit body and her young features.  
  
"What's come over you?" she asked. "Giovanni's in an uproar. He wants you dead."  
  
"He knows what I'm am capable of. He wants me out of the way," Ash said.  
  
"He has sent Butch and Cassidy after you," another voice said, this one male. A man stepped from the shadows and stood next to his female companion. His once long blue hair was now cut short, giving him an older, more mature look. His green eyes showed concern for his younger friend's well being.  
  
"Butch and Cassidy?" Ash said curiously. "They are far from good at tracking. Why didn't Giovanni send you?"  
  
Jessie and James, although they couldn't steal a pokemon to save their lives, were excellent trackers, which was obvious from their years of following Ash. It had been Ash, in fact, that had suggested to Giovanni that Jessie and James become full time trackers and leave field work to other agents. Jessie and James were by far the best agents Giovanni had when he wanted someone found.  
  
"He tried to send us," James informed him. "But we told him that we were in the middle of developing a new weapon and couldn't take the time."  
  
Besides tracking, Jessie and James were in charge of weapon design. They came up with many original ideas and had perfected the art of making weapons after fixing all of the mistakes they had made when they used weapons against Ash.  
  
"Giovanni wanted Butch on the case anyway," Jessie continued. "Next to Shigeru, he's the best sharpshooter in Team Rocket."  
  
Ash nodded deep in thought. "I need your help. I need weapons, handguns, rifles, and something we can use against pokemon." Jessie and James had come up with some ingenious weaponry that used elemental powers and could faint pokemon.  
  
Jessie looked at him suspiciously. "We can get you that. What are you up to Twerp?" she asked, using what had over the years become her affectionate nickname for him.  
  
He grinned. "You'll see."  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Well, sorry it's been so long. At least I give you guys long chapters to look forward too. Don't worry, summer will soon be here, then I will have plenty of time to write. Until then just bare with me. For any of you who are wondering, I still have no idea if Ash and Misty are gonna get together or if Ash and Erika will reunite. I'm just going with the flow here. But notice that Misty does like Ash, complications complications! Again, if you would like me to email you when I release a new chapter just tell me in your review. I suppose thats all, please review. 


	6. cha 6

Gary stood silently by the small fire they had made, his face glowing eerily from the light of the flames. Brock had cooked them all dinner, and as much as Gary despised him, he had to admit, it was delicious.  
  
It had been a few days since Ash had gone to talk to Jessie and James and Gary expected him back soon. They had traveled each day and were close to the coast, but they had to remain in the forest outside of Fuchsia, waiting until Ash rejoined them before they could head out to Seafoam Island.   
  
Brock, Misty, and Erika sat on the other side of the fire, allowing the flames to separate Gary from themselves. They had an unspoken segregation. Gary was by nature a loner. The only one who had ever broken through his shell was Ash. He spoke very little to the rest of the group except during his shooting sessions.   
  
The former gym leaders had been planning the rebellion the entire trip. Everyone had come to the general conclusion, even before Ash had left, that Bruno, who was in peak physical condition and was obviously good with weapons, along with Agatha, who was excellent in the art of stealth through all her years with ghost pokemon, would be the ones to train the rebellion's forces. The training was going to take place in a secluded place, the Safari Zone, for the woman who ran it was a rebellion supporter. The location was ideal since Team Rocket had long ago pillaged the Zone of all the pokemon.   
  
A loud bang caused the three former gym leaders to look up, and both Bruno and Agatha who had been sleeping, sat up quickly. Another bang echoed through the forest and the ground next to Misty became unsettled, a thick cloud of dust floating into the air.  
  
"Someone's shooting at us!" Bruno called, the first in the group to realize what was going on. He quickly got out of his sleeping bag and stood up.  
  
"Get behind the trees!" Gary called as he clutched his right arm.  
  
Misty was the only one to noticed the small flow of crimson liquid that was quickly seeping onto his light gray shirt. "Gary-" she began.  
  
"Go!" he cried, cutting her off.  
  
She reluctantly followed Brock, Erika, and Agatha, glancing over her shoulder as more bullets rained into the clearing.   
  
Gary quickly pulled his gun out of his holster, then glanced at his wounded arm. "Bruno!" he called, tossing the gun to the larger man. Another shot came hitting a tree dangerously close to Gary, who was obviously the intended target.   
  
Using a tree for cover, Bruno began firing in the general direction of the shots, for it was too dark to see where their attacker was.  
  
The bark on the tree next to Cassidy suddenly exploded, the impact of a bullet sending bits of wood everywhere. Butch quickly trained his rifle on Bruno, who provided a large target, despite the tree that removed much of his body from view.   
  
"No," Cassidy hissed. "The boss wants him alive."   
  
"The son of a bitch is shooting at us Cass," Butch protested, flinching as another bullet hit a nearby tree.  
  
"He's firing blindly," she told him, pushing her blonde hair from her eyes as she crouched by her partner. "Let him shoot, he'll eventually run out of bullets. Then we can kill Shigeru and take Bruno and Agatha to the boss." She had been surprised to see the older ghost trainer with Bruno, but all she could assume was the rebellion was trying to round up all the Elite to fight for them.  
  
"I wonder where Satoshi is?" Butch said, recalling that the dark haired man had not been with the group when he had started shooting.   
  
"Who cares," Cassidy said shrugging. "Without him around our job is ten times easier, especially now that Shigeru can't shoot."  
  
Butch frowned. "If Shigeru's there, Satoshi can't be too far away. They rarely separate."  
  
Cassidy did not answer, for Bruno had just run out of bullets. She stood and pulled her gun from the holster around her thigh. "Keep your rifle aimed at Shigeru," she instructed Butch. "I don't trust him."  
  
A blonde woman made her way from the forest, and into the small clearing the group was using for a campsite. Bruno recognized her as the same woman who had been leading the troops back at Rock Tunnel. Her blue eyes gleamed maliciously in the fire light as she made her way over to Gary, who had left the sanctuary of the tree he had been using for cover.   
  
Bruno, who was out of bullets, went to charge at her, but, sensing the movement, she pivoted and aimed her gun at the large man's chest.  
  
"Don't," she warned, grinning as he stopped in his tracks. "My partner has his rifle aimed at your friend right now," she informed Bruno. "Try anything and he dies."  
  
Gary glared at her, cradling his injured arm, which throbbed in pain. He cast a glance at his bag that sat only meters away, his ammunition tucked safely inside it. There was nothing he could do now, for although Butch was not the best, his shooting usually left his targets with undesirable results. He knew he was stuck in a rock and a hard place, for he could do nothing to Cassidy without being shot by Butch; that is until he saw a yellow blur run behind Cassidy. He grinned, then while Cassidy was busy taunting Bruno, he grabbed her arm with his uninjured one, twisting it behind her back until she dropped her gun. He picked the firearm up with his right hand, which shook from pain as he aimed it at her.  
  
Cassidy's expression changed from outraged to gleeful as she waited for Butch to shoot him dead. When the shot didn't come, she knew something was awry, and decided to change tactics.   
  
"Are you going to shoot me?" she taunted, noting Gary's pained expression as he aimed the gun at her. "Look at you, you can barely hold the gun."  
  
He glanced down at his steadily shaking hand. "You're right," he said with a sigh. He swiftly placed the hand gun in his other hand, aiming it steadily at her. A grin slowly spread across his face. "Good thing I'm left handed."  
  
Cassidy's blue eyes widened in shock. "You're lying, she said.  
  
Gary quickly turned and shot at another target he had painted for Misty, Brock, and Erika. The bullet hit it dead center. He then trained the gun back on Cassidy. "Nope," he said, cocking his head and smiling at the look of horror that had appeared on her face.  
  
"Sorry Cassidy," he said as he moved closer to her and slammed the butt of the gun into the back of her head for a second time, making her once again fall to the ground unconscious.   
  
Misty was the first to come out from behind the tree they had been hiding behind. She quickly made her way over to Gary, whose shirt sleeve was saturated with his dark red blood.  
  
"Are you all right?" she asked worriedly, as she helped him sit down before he collapsed from the steadily increasing pain in his arm.  
  
He gritted his teeth and nodded, gently holding his arm.  
  
"I thought she said she had a partner who was going to shoot you," Bruno said curiously.  
  
A thump and the clatter of a rifle hitting the ground drew everyone's attention to the edge of the clearing, where Ash stood, an unconscious, aquamarine haired Butch at his feet.   
  
"I found him like this in the forest," Ash said shrugging. After a pause he added, "Well, after I kicked him in the head."  
  
Gary began to laugh. Pikachu, the yellow blur Gary had seen earlier, which signaled that Ash had come back, quickly scurried over to Ash and climbed onto his shoulder. Ash made his way to Gary, where he knelt next to him, ready to examine his arm.  
  
"Why did you give me the gun if you're left handed?" Bruno asked him, as he watched Ash rip the sleeve off Gary's shirt.  
  
"Because they were trying to kill me," Gary said, wincing as Ash used his sleeve to wipe the blood away from the wound. "Giovanni most likely wants you alive so you can tell him where the other Elite are, so I knew they wouldn't kill you."  
  
Bruno nodded, seeing the logic of it.  
  
Brock watched in amazement as Ash tended to Gary's wound, it was obvious he had done this before.   
  
"You were lucky this time Gary," Ash informed him. "The bullet went clean though the arm."  
  
"This time?" Misty questioned. She looked at Gary. "How many times have you been shot?"  
  
Gary furrowed his brow in thought. "What was this, Ash? Eight?"  
  
Ash nodded as he pulled a bandage from his back pack. "Something like that."  
  
"You've been shot eight times?" Erika asked, amazement in her tone.  
  
"Yeah, well, dangers of the job right?" Gary said, brushing off the idea.   
  
Misty watched him, surprised at the nonchalant attitude he was exhibiting. Ash finished, then stood up, helping Gary to his feet as he did so.  
  
"Did you get the weapons?" Gary asked, looking over his now bandaged tricep.   
  
"Yes," Ash told him. "They're sending them to the Safari Zone. We can drop off Bruno and Agatha, then rent a boat at Fuchsia to get to Seafoam. They can begin training the rebels while we go find Lorelei and Lance."  
  
~*~*~  
  
It had become very quiet in their group since Agatha and Bruno were no longer with them. They had stayed at the Safari Zone, ready to train troops. Jessie and James had managed to procure the weapons and had had them waiting at the Safari Zone when the group had arrived.  
  
Brock, Misty, and Erika had contacted people in their respective cities and gave the orders for the rebels to come to the zone for training.   
  
Unfortunately, the group that was now continuing to Seafoam was an uncomfortable one. The rebel leaders were refusing to converse with Ash and Gary, despite all of the help the two former Rockets had provided. Much of the trip had been silent.  
  
Brock groaned as the boat they were on bounced up and down on the ocean waves. He eyed Misty jealously as she lay on her bunk, a peaceful smile upon her face.  
  
"Don't you love the feeling of being gently rocked by the ocean?" she asked, turning her head to glance at him.  
  
As the boat lurched, so did his stomach. "I don't know what you see in the ocean, Misty," he said, leaning back in the chair he sat on and closing his eyes.  
  
They had had only enough money to rent a small two cabin boat and a captain. Misty and Erika shared a cabin, while the men took the other. Brock spent much of his time in Erika and Misty's cabin though, for when he, Ash, and Gary were in the same room, the animosity was thick.   
  
It was nearing midnight and Brock knew he should be going. He bid a short farewell to Erika who was lying on the bunk above Misty, then waved good-bye to them both.  
  
Misty and Erika had the nicer of the two cabins. It was furnished with plush armchairs and a small vanity, as opposed to the men's room, which had nothing but a pair of bunk beds crammed into a space the size of a walk-in closet.   
  
Erika sighed as she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bunk, allowing them to dangle.   
  
"What's the matter?" Misty asked, sensing a note of disturbance in her friend's demeanor.   
  
After a pause, Erika said, "I never told you about me and Ash, did I?"  
  
Misty became confused, as she too sat up. "What do you mean?"  
  
"We were lovers," Erika stated bluntly, sadness evident in her tone.  
  
Misty's stomach dropped when she heard this, and a wave of jealousy overtook her. She knew that there was nothing between her and Ash, but the mere thought of anyone else having something with him made her angry. "What happened?" Misty asked, keeping her feelings in check.  
  
"He left one day. Without so much as a note," Erika said bitterly. "Now I see why, it was because of Team Rocket. But he broke my heart."  
  
Misty was silent, allowing Erika to tell her the story of her and Ash's romance, although it was the last thing she wanted to hear. When Erika was through, Misty turned off the light and lay in bed, staring at the bottom of Erika's bunk. A soft snoring from above her told her that Erika was asleep, but Misty could not fall into a peaceful slumber. With a sigh, she threw aside her covers, a slight shiver running through her as her bare feet touched the cold wooden floor. She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around herself and, not bothering to put shoes on, she quietly made her way out of the cabin and onto the main deck. It was well after midnight, and she wanted to just sit alone, contemplating her thoughts.   
  
It was a dark night, filled with only a few stars, although in the distance one could see the half moon reflecting off of the sea. Misty was surprised to find that she was not the only one on the deck. A lone figure sat, legs under the railing as his arms lightly rested upon it. When she came closer she was able to recognize the figure by the white bandage around his right arm.   
  
Misty did not feel the tension towards Gary and Ash that Brock and Erika seemed to feel. She quietly sat next to him, allowing her legs to also dangle off the side of the ship. He glanced at her, but returned his gaze to the ocean without so much as a word.   
  
They sat in silence for a while, each admiring the scene as the few visible stars shone through the cloudy night sky.  
  
Misty finally broke the silence. "How's your arm?" she asked.  
  
In the dim light, she could just see him glance at his bandaged tricep. "I've had worse," he responded as he fixed his gaze on her.  
  
"I take it you couldn't sleep either," she said, trying to engage him in a conversation. That was one thing she noticed about Gary. Aside from the occasional wise crack, he rarely talked. Ash was the same way, very reserved. Misty suspected that they talked to one another quite a bit, but around others they were often silent. She supposed the years they had spent in Team Rocket had changed them both a great deal.   
  
"Brock snores and Pikachu was on the verge of electrocuting him," Gary responded as he returned his gaze to the dark rippling ocean. "Ash has gotten used to being thundershocked over the years, but I prefer not to be fried to a crisp."  
  
Misty grinned, then became contemplative. "Pikachu has gotten pretty powerful, hasn't he?"  
  
"Yes," Gary agreed. "I'd imagine he's somewhere near level 100 by now."  
  
"Level 100?" Misty questioned, surprise evident in her voice. "How could he be so powerful? There's no one to battle."  
  
"Sure there is," Gary told her. She looked at him curiously. Seeing this, he elaborated. "Team Rocket has an ongoing pokemon tournament. It is like a small version of the old Pokemon League. If you can defeat the six top trainers, you can try to defeat the champion."  
  
"Who's the champion," Misty asked. "Giovanni?"  
  
Gary snorted. "Giovanni doesn't enter. He knows better, Ash would easily defeat him."  
  
"Ash is the champion?" Misty asked. Somehow that didn't surprise her. While Ash had gotten his start due to a lot of luck, he had grown to be a skillful trainer, with a deep connection to his pokemon. A warm feeling had begun to grow within her at the thought of Ash, then quickly disappeared as she remembered Erika's words.  
  
Gary noticed the sudden change in her demeanor but said nothing. He had never been close to Misty and did not feel comfortable asking her personal questions.  
  
"I guess you and Ash hate us, huh?" Misty asked suddenly, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.   
  
He looked at her in surprise. "No," he said, pausing to consider his words. "We just have grown used to keeping to ourselves. We haven't had to open up to anyone in so long that we have kind of forgotten how."  
  
She pushed her hair out of her face as a slight wind picked up. She wore her hair down when she slept rather than in her normal braid, and it framed her face in a red halo as she watched him.   
  
"Of course you guys aren't really helping," he added.  
  
"Us?" she said in indignation. "What did we do?"  
  
"You haven't accepted us. Since you found out we were Rockets, you've set yourselves against us." Gary spoke softly, meeting her gaze. "The three of you are especially hard on Ash because you have placed him on the pedestal over the years and none of you can forgive him for not living up to your idea of what he should be."   
  
Misty stared into his gray eyes, searching for something, anything that could give her access to Gary's hidden self. Obviously he understood more than he let on, and he had depth that was difficult to be seen through his outward display of ego.   
  
He tore his gaze away, uncomfortable at the scrutiny. He returned to staring at the waves.  
  
"You're right," Misty told him. "Brock and I have not been good friends. When we separated we just lost touch. It was unfair of us to assume that he was the same person he had been as a kid. People change."  
  
Blue eyes met gray again, and for a moment they were silent. For a brief second, Ash flashed to her mind, but she pushed the thought away when she once again remembered Erika's story. He didn't need her, he had Erika. On an impulse she leaned towards Gary and kissed him, a soft warm kiss on his lips.  
  
Surprised as he was when her lips touched his, Gary didn't pull away. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and kissed her back. She tasted sweet, and the kiss was tender, something he rarely had. All of his romances had been passionate one night stands, for he never wanted to get involved.  
  
They pulled apart after what seemed like all too brief a moment, and for a while they just stared at each other, not knowing what to say.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The muffled sound of arguing woke Ash from what had otherwise been a peaceful slumber. A quick glance at his watch told him it was only six in the morning, which made him curious as to who was arguing and why.  
  
Five minutes later he was changed into jeans and a black t-shirt. He headed out on deck without bothering to brush his hair, the dark locks were unruly and never stayed how he wanted anyway.  
  
He was met with high winds and loud voices when he exited the cabin, and although he hadn't noticed it while he was changing, the ship was rocking steadily, making balance difficult. The sources of the voices were Gary and the captain and it didn't take Ash long to realize that they weren't fighting. They had to yell to be heard over the increasing winds.  
  
"What's the problem?" Ash called over the wind when he reached them, turning so his hair was being blown out of his face, rather than into it.   
  
"He won't go any farther," Gary said as he pointed out to sea.   
  
Ash looked to where Gary indicated. There, less then two miles away was Seafoam Island. Because it was dawn the horizon was hazy and the island appeared to have an imposing mist circulating around it.   
  
Ash looked at the captain questioningly. He was an older man, hardened by his many years at sea. His short beard was turning slightly gray, as was his brown hair. He shook his head as his windbreaker was blown violently around him.  
  
"I won't go no closer," he said, glancing nervously at Seafoam Island, which loomed in the distance.  
  
"Why?" Ash questioned, not understanding.  
  
"At least five ships been capsized when they tried to dock at that island," the captain said, his blue eyes taking on a frightened look. "There's some sea monster out there sinking any boat that comes near the island."  
  
Gary looked at Ash and rolled his eyes.  
  
Ash watched the murky ocean water as it was disturbed by large waves. "You think there is a monster out there?" Ash asked, his eyes still upon the ocean.  
  
"I know there is," the captain assured him.  
  
Gary and Ash exchanged a brief glance.  
  
Ash sighed. "We'll pay you double to take us to the island."  
  
The captain stopped, contemplating the offer. After a moment he nodded in agreement. "You have a deal." He turned and went about restarting the boat as Ash and Gary headed back to the cabin. With a hum the engines started and the boat lurched forward, fighting against the waves.  
  
"He made that up so you would pay him more," Gary said angrily. "Some beast will sink the boat unless you pay me double." He shook his head, his auburn hair blowing in the wind.  
  
Ash shrugged. "Oh well. We needed to get there."  
  
"He ripped us-" Gary began, but he never got to finish his sentence, for the boat was suddenly jolted so hard that it was pushed several feet off course.  
  
Ash and Gary were instantly knocked off their feet and slammed into the railing that encircled the deck, which was the only thing that kept them from falling into the water below. They scrambled to their feet as the boat became level.  
  
Misty, Brock, and Erika quickly emerged from the other cabin, all three unsure of what had happened.  
  
"What's going on?" Misty cried over the now howling wind.  
  
Neither Ash nor Gary answered as they quickly made their way back to the bow of the ship. Another fantastic jolt sent them sprawling again, but as soon as the boat was balanced they continued towards the bow, the rebel leaders on their heels.  
  
"I told you!" the captain cried when he saw them. "We're all going to die!" He frantically grabbed a life jacket and once he put it on he leapt from the ship, landing with a splash in the choppy water.   
  
Gary and Ash looked at each other for a moment before Gary said, "Whatever happened to going down with your ship?"  
  
Ash didn't answer, for he was staring at the water, which had begun to swell and the largest gyrados Ash had ever seen emerged, water cascading down its scaly back like a waterfall. It bent down and with one gulp of its gigantic mouth, it had swallowed the now screaming captain whole.  
  
It's two gleaming red eyes fixed themselves on Ash, Gary, Brock, Misty, and Erika, who stood gaping at the huge pokemon, before it dove back into the water, creating waves that shook the boat. The boat shuddered as it was again hit with a huge force as the gyrados rammed into it.   
  
"It's going to sink us!" Brock cried.  
  
Another jolt caused the whole boat to turn completely on it's side before shooting back up. Ash did not have a good grip and the others watched in horror as he was flung back into the railing, which broke upon the impact, sending Ash hurtling to the water below.   
  
"Ash!" Gary cried as he rushed to the side of the ship, where he saw his partner treading water, his black hair now plastered to his head. Gary's relief was short lived as the gyrados once again rose from the water, his eyes now set upon Ash, who never even had a chance to swim towards the ship before the pokemon's giant tail was lifted from the water and slammed upon him, knocking him unconscious and pushing him deep into the water.  
  
"Pikapi!" Ash's little pokemon called in terror. Pikachu had emerged from the cabin just in time to see the gyrados hit Ash with its tail. Pikachu angrily charged up, and with an impassioned cry, attacked the water pokemon with the most powerful thunder anyone on the boat had ever seen, or was ever likely to see again.  
  
With a bellowing roar of pain, the gyrados slumped into the water, fainted.   
  
With the threat gone, Gary kicked off his shoes and dove into the water, trying to find Ash. Brock, Misty, and Erika rushed to the edge of the boat, watching as Gary dove under the water searching for Ash, then returned without him. Erika began to cry and Misty felt her knees go weak, Brock caught her as collapsed. He too was gripped with emotion as Gary took a deep breath and dove once again.   
  
The second time Gary surfaced, he had the limp form of Ash under his arm. He quickly swam back to the boat and with the help of Brock he was able to lift Ash onto the boat. Gary pulled himself on to the boat's deck, and ignoring the fact he was soaked, he checked Ash for a pulse. He discovered that Ash had a quickly weakening pulse and he wasn't breathing. This meant he miraculously had not been killed by the tremendous blow of the gyrados's tail. Gary pushed his soaked hair from his forehead as he quickly began CPR, trying to revive his friend.   
  
They watched Gary work for a tense minute before Ash suddenly coughed and sputtered, spitting out all of the water he had inhaled. Gary leaned back in relief as Misty and Erika rushed to Ash, both hugging him tightly. Water dripped from his hair and down his face as he looked at both of them in bewilderment. When the too women released him, Ash was even more surprised when Brock suddenly hugged him.   
  
They all sat on the deck, full of emotions and speechless, as the boat slid back and forth along the waves, which had now calmed to a gentle rocking.   
  
  
  
Updated A/N (6/2/01): Wow, thank you so much to those of you who reviewed and explained what the problem was with the updating. I've lowered the rating so hopefully this will work. I guess I have to lower the rating on all my stories. That's ok, I think that they pass for PG-13 anyway, I just had them rated R to be safe. Thanks again.  
  
A/N: Fret not ye pokeshippers! Just because Misty and Gary kissed does not mean she and Ash are not getting together. All it means is that if they do, there will be a bit more of a complication. And to all of you hoping Ash and Erika will reunite, don't fret either, for I haven't decided anything, and they may still end up together. By the way, if you left your email address you should have recived an email telling you I updated. And for those of you who give signed reviews and want me to email you, please leave your address in the review, because frankly I am too lazy to go to your profile to find it. Thanks for staying with me, please read and review. 


	7. cha 7

By the time they had managed to steer the battered boat ashore, the day was half gone. The sun was high above them, beating onto their backs as they worked to get the boat to dock, which took a good deal of time since none of them were used to sailing. In the end it took Misty, who was by far the most experienced when it came to water and boats, calling out directions before they were able to dock on the single dock on the island.   
  
Gary and Ash were the first to alight onto the shore, their boots sinking into the loose sand as they walked. The rebel leaders followed them, having a similar problem as they trudged through the sand.   
  
Ash was happy to be on dry land, his recent nearly fatal experience made him slightly wary of the water.   
  
They stood in silence for a moment, staring at the cave of Seafoam Island, which was the only landmark on the desolate island.   
  
Once again they found themselves in a dark cave. This one was much like Rock Tunnel, with a main cavern that had many tunnels around it's perimeter. It was deserted, most likely because of the vicious gyrados they had encountered.   
  
Ash's voice broke the silence, commanding Pikachu to use his flash technique to provide them with some illumination. Instantly the cavern was lit enough to make out the dark tunnels that led deeper into the ground, where the underground river was.   
  
Bruno had told them that he believed Lorelei would be there, considering her affiliation for ice and water type pokemon.   
  
"Come on," Ash said, waving his hand, indicating that they should follow him.  
  
"Do you know where you're going?" Gary asked, looking uncertainly at the many tunnels that surrounded them.  
  
"Sure, it's the same as last time," Ash said, his voice echoing off the walls.  
  
"Last time?" Misty questioned. "You two were here before too?"  
  
Gary shook his head. "I was never here."  
  
All eyes turned to Ash.  
  
"I was looking for Articuno," he said, shrugging. He looked at Misty and Brock. "It was after we split up." He turned his gaze to Gary. "And before we started traveling together."  
  
"You came looking for Articuno?" Erika repeated, as if saying it again would make it less true. "Articuno is a myth, no one has ever seen him."  
  
Ash smiled, and Brock immediately recognized the look he wore. It was a look that said he knew something they didn't. He had worn it often when he had battled, when he would come up with some farfetched idea that would never work for anyone but him, because his pokemon loved him so much that they would do anything for him. He had seen that look many times when he had battled Ash, right before Ash would crush his pokemon with some crazy strategy that Brock hadn't even noticed him preparing. "Did you find Articuno?" he asked, knowing it was very likely he had.   
  
There was a pause as Ash considered him. "He was bathing next to the underground river," Ash told him.  
  
They all looked at him in disbelief.  
  
Then Gary voiced the question they all had. "Did you capture him?" he said, amazed he had never heard this story before.   
  
Ash frowned. "Of course not. I only wanted to see it. I wouldn't want to keep such a magnificent pokemon trapped in a pokeball."  
  
All four of his companions stared at him in astonishment. They were so amazed by Ash's statement that none of them could think of anything to say.   
  
Ash broke the silence. "Come on then," he said, heading towards the far tunnel on the left.  
  
The tunnel headed deep into the earth. Ash and Gary walked side by side, and although Ash had never been known for a keen sense of observation (in fact many claimed that he blatantly ignored the obvious) he did notice as Gary kept throwing short glances over his shoulder.  
  
Ash turned his head and saw that Gary's glances were directed at Misty, who was currently in deep conversation with Erika. She flipped her long braid over her shoulder before whispering something to Erika, who began to giggle after stealing a glance at Gary. When Gary saw them looking at him he quickly turned and faced forward.   
  
Ash raised and eyebrow, intrigued, yet baffled by the sudden odd behavior. Brock too seemed bewildered at the two women breaking into fits of giggles. He was walking at the back of the group and he and Ash, apparently the only two in the group who didn't understand what was going on, shared a look of confusion. Ash then glanced at Pikachu, curious if he knew what had taken place, but the yellow rodent riding on his shoulder seemed as perplexed as he and Brock.   
  
Ash turned his gaze on Gary. "Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked. For a moment he thought Gary's face had flushed a pink color, but he dismissed it as a trick of the dim light coming from Pikachu.   
  
"No," Gary said, shaking his head fervently so his auburn hair rippled. "Why?"  
  
"Because you've been looking over your shoulder at Misty all day and those two," he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder without looking back, "have been acting like love struck teenagers for the past hour."  
  
"Oh?" said Gary, trying but not succeeding to look surprised at this news.  
  
"Gary," Ash said in a low warning tone. "Don't make me beat it out of you. Especially not in front of the women." Although he grinned playfully, Gary had a feeling he was at least half serious.   
  
Gary considered his options. True, in the shooting department Gary had the upper hand over Ash, but when it come to hand to hand combat Ash would have him flat on his back before he could even throw a punch.   
  
"Well," Gary began, deciding to tell, rather than be beaten to a pulp. "I couldn't sleep last night."  
  
"I know," Ash said. "You didn't come back to the cabin until after four."  
  
Gary nodded. "Well, Misty couldn't sleep either. So we talked for a while then..." He paused, unsure of how Ash would react to the next bit of information. He wasn't completely sure whether Ash had feelings for Misty or not. "Then we kissed," he mumbled.   
  
He risked a glance at Ash, who's expression was unreadable. Then slowly a smile began to form on his face. "You and Misty?" he asked grinning. "That's great." Then he became serious. "You're not talking about another one night stand, right?" he said, frowning. He knew about Gary's policy of love 'em and leave 'em and he would not let him do that to Misty.  
  
Gary shook his head. "No," he said earnestly. "We talked for hours last night." He paused, considering his words. "I really like her, Ash," he blurted out, rather embarrassed. Of the two, Ash was always the emotional, sentimental one. Gary preferred to be the insensitive jerk of the pair.   
  
Ash grinned widely at Gary's show of his sentimental side, which he normally tried to keep hidden at all costs. Gary sighed and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, frustrated at his uncharacteristic display of anything that resembled feelings. The sound of rushing water pulled him from his thoughts, and he realized they had to be close to Lorelei.  
  
They turned a bend and stopped at the entrance to a large cavern, lit by fires around the perimeter. A large river ran through the cavern and a few water pokemon splashed playfully in it.  
  
They almost didn't notice Lorelei, who was lying on her back with her eyes closed, her auburn hair splayed across the ground. Her jeans were rolled up and her bare feet were dangling carelessly in the clear water of the river.   
  
"Lapras!" warned one of the water pokemon when he spotted the group standing at the cavern's entrance.   
  
Lorelei quickly sat up and looked over her shoulder at them. When she saw the group of strangers she leapt to her feet and turned to face them, standing ankle deep in the river.   
  
"I'm not going without a fight," she told them, her eyes lingering on Pikachu, who sat calmly on Ash's shoulder. The possession of a pokemon was a sign of a Team Rocket agent.  
  
"We don't-" Ash began, but was interrupted as Lorelei hollered for Lapras to go, her voice echoing loudly off the rock walls.  
  
The lapras advanced, making his way to the edge of the river, his face determined as he bobbed along with the current.  
  
Gary looked at Ash. "This is all yours," he said, gesturing with an arm. "I left all my pokemon at H.Q."  
  
Ash took in the situation, rubbing the back of his neck. He could easily take out the lapras with a well placed electric attack, unfortunately Lapras was in the water and so was Lorelei. In fact, if Ash had still been with Team Rocket he would have taken advantage of her compromising situation and hit Lapras with a thunder, allowing the electricity to transfer to Lorelei, most likely rendering her unconscious. Unfortunately knocking her unconscious would probably not make her too keen to help them, so he had to think of another way to put Lapras out of commission.  
  
Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder, standing ready at his feet.  
  
"Lapras, ice beam!" Lorelei cried, pointing at Pikachu.  
  
Lapras acknowledged her with a nod and sent a powerful ice beam at Pikachu.   
  
"Use agility, Pikachu," Ash said.  
  
The others had backed away, giving Ash and Pikachu more room to maneuver. Pikachu used agility and was out of the way of the attack with lightening speed. The ice beam remained on the same course and Ash had to leap out of the way to avoid being frozen solid.  
  
"Pikachu, tackle attack," Ash said when he was out of danger.   
  
Using a burst of speed from his agility, Pikachu sped at the lapras and aimed a tackle right for his head. The attack hit, but Lorelei's pokemon were too well trained to be taken out by a single tackle attack.  
  
Pikachu landed back on dry land, crouching on all fours to prepare for the next attack.  
  
"Hydropump!" Lorelei commanded, waiting for her pokemon to use its strongest attack.  
  
Ash sighed as Pikachu dodged the torrents of water that came barreling at him. The only way to end this would be with an electric attack. "Pikachu," he called. "Use thunderbolt."  
  
As Pikachu powered up, his cheeks sparking, Ash said, "Miss Lorelei, I would get out of the water if I were you."  
  
She looked down at her feet, which were emerged in water, then back at him before quickly splashing out of the water. When Pikachu was sure she was out of harms way the yellow rodent released a powerful thunderbolt at Lapras, who fainted on contact.   
  
Lorelei stared in disbelief at the fainted pokemon. She quickly recalled her lapras and pulled out another pokeball, maximizing it in her hand. She didn't throw it though, she simply held it tightly, ready to use it if necessary.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
  
Ash turned to Misty, who seemed to be the spokesperson of the rebellion. Misty, catching the glance, stepped forward, launching into an explanation. By the time she was done, Lorelei had put her pokeball away and was listening intently.  
  
"You already have Bruno and Agatha training troops?" Lorelei asked. They nodded and she appeared to become lost in thought. Finally: "Okay, I'm in."  
  
Misty, Brock, and Erika exchanged a grin. If Lorelei agreed then they knew Lance would too.  
  
"I have one question," Lorelei said, looking curiously at them. "How did you get past Gyrados?"  
  
"That thing belongs to you?" Gary snapped. "It almost took his head off. Literally," he said, gesturing at Ash.  
  
"He's not mine," Lorelei told him. "He's Lance's. He left him here to protect me. No one has ever gotten past him," she said. "How did you?"  
  
Everyone pointed at Pikachu, who was once again perched comfortably on Ash's shoulder.   
  
Lorelei looked at the pokemon in question in surprise. "A single Pikachu took out Lance's gyrados?"  
  
Pikachu looked slightly miffed that she didn't think it was possible. He was as strong as any pokemon out there, why shouldn't he be able to beat Lance's gyrados?  
  
Brock grinned. "Not only did he beat Lance's gyrados, he only used one attack."  
  
Lorelei's jaw dropped and she turned her gaze to Ash, who remained rather apathetic to the entire concept.   
  
"Your pikachu took out Lance's gyrados and my lapras using only one electric attack?" She paused, staring at him in stark disbelief. "It's a shame the Pokemon League is disbanded. The Elite Four would have had difficulty stopping you."  
  
Misty, Brock, and even Gary expected some kind of reaction to that. They had all known Ash in his younger days and they knew how quickly a compliment could go to his head. This was why they were surprised when Ash's face remained impassive, except for an unreadable emotion that flashed through his eyes. He averted his face, blocking his expression from view.   
  
"Are you coming then?" he asked Lorelei, apparently ignoring her statement.  
  
She nodded and they began to make their way from the cavern, Ash and Misty in the lead. Misty cast a quick glance at him. When he thought no one was looking she could see an incredible amount of sadness in his countenance, his expression was depressed and weary.   
  
Gary stopped abruptly when Ash and Misty disappeared from view. The tunnel suddenly became much darker when Pikachu vanished with them, taking his light source with him.   
  
"Where did they go?" Brock said, pulling a flashlight from his bag.  
  
Lorelei pushed her way to the front of the group and joined Gary as he examined a large hole, which had suddenly appeared in the path in front of them.   
  
"Uh oh," she said.  
  
"What's wrong?" Erika asked, unable to see the hole or anything for that matter, since Brock, Gary and Lorelei were surrounding it and all three of them were at least a head taller than she.   
  
"That leads to an underground cavern," Lorelei explained.  
  
"So?" Brock asked.  
  
"Well, normally it wouldn't be a problem," Lorelei began. "But the tide's rising." True to her word, they could hear the sound of rushing water growing louder, even though they were a good distance from the underground river. "That cavern fills with water during high tide. If we don't get them out of there they'll drown."  
  
Gary kneeled, then laid flat on his stomach, looking into the hole, although he was unable to see anything. "Ash?" he called. They listened for a moment before an answer echoed through the dark tunnel.   
  
"We're okay," Ash's voice called. "But we're stuck down here. The tunnel is full of mud. It's too slick for even Pikachu to climb up."  
  
"Hang on, we'll figure something out," Gary called. He stood, brushing the dirt from his front.  
  
"So what do we do?" Erika asked. She had taken Gary's position between Brock and Lorelei.   
  
"Here," Brock said, pulling his backpack from his shoulders and unzipping it. "We packed rope with our supplies." He extracted a length of rope and handed it to Gary, who immediately began uncoiling it.  
  
He was about to throw one end of the rope down the hole when Misty called to them. "What's taking so long?" she demanded.  
  
"Come on, Gary," Ash yelled up at them. "This place is filling up with water fast, it's up to our ankles."  
  
"That wouldn't happen to be Satoshi down there now would it?" a familiar but unwelcome voice called out.   
  
Gary looked up to see a blonde woman standing smugly with her hands upon her hips, her aquamarine haired partner next to her. Over fifty Team Rocket agents stood behind them, blocking the only exit. They were easily seen because of the growlithe at their feet who was using flash to light the tunnel. The pokemon sat obediently at their heels, growling softly at Gary and the others.  
  
"Cassidy," Gary growled. "How many times do we have to beat you before you'll crawl into a hole and die?"  
  
"See, Shigeru," Cassidy said with a smirk. "Right there is your problem. Looks to me like there is no 'we' right now. Satoshi isn't up here to protect you."  
  
Gary's stormy gray eyes flashed angrily.  
  
"Admit it, Shigeru," Butch chimed in. "You're nothing without Satoshi."  
  
Gary surpressed the growl that was rising in his throat. Butch was trying to bait him and he knew it. "I do recall being ranked number one sharpshooter, Butch. What were you again?" Gary asked in a light tone. "That's right, only second best."  
  
Where Butch had failed Gary had succeeded, for Butch snarled at Gary, looking remarkably like the growlithe at his feet. His anger had gotten the better of him.  
  
"What good will that do you now?" Cassidy quickly asked Gary, sensing her partner's sudden anger. "You can only shoot so many of us before one of us gets you. Not to mention Growlithe here," she said gesturing at the fire pokemon. "He will bite you before you could get a shot off. It's a shame you don't have Satoshi and his damn rodent here with you."  
  
Their conversation was interrupted by Ash, who once again was calling up to them. "Gary, hurry. The water is rising really fast."  
  
They all turned their attention to the hole at Gary's feet. They had nearly forgotten about Ash and Misty. Gary went to throw the rope when he heard Butch say, "Don't even think about it."  
  
He looked up to see Butch's pistol trained on him, his finger itching to pull the trigger.  
  
"They'll drown," Gary protested.  
  
"I know," Butch said, a malicious smile forming upon his face.   
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Ooops... a cliffhanger. *Runs from all the rotten vegatables being thrown at her* Well, at least I updated right? Even if it is a cliffhanger... Well I'm so sorry it took so long to update, but I was taking two acting classes, and a writing class, and my birthday was last week, and I had to go check out some colleges, not to mention my summer homework... basically I haven't had any time. Please don't be mad. *Looks pleading* Ok now onto something relevant... Just because Ash is ok with Misty and Gary being together does NOT mean that's what the coupling is going to be. I mean think about it, I just put Ash and Misty into a dark tunnel together, and they may die... I'm thinking some sort of confessions will be happening. BUT that doesn't mean that Ash and Erika are out either. To make a long author's note even longer, I would like to say that the pairings may come out in the next chapter. But I already know who I'm pairing people with, so no matter how much you scream, whine, cry, yell, or plead, it will make no difference for I know who's gonna end up with who. But I'm not telling. :P  
  
On a completly different tangent, if any of you read Buffy the Vampire Slayer go read "Retribution of angels" by AcUpOfJaVy. It's a really good story and the poor kid isn't getting the reviews he deserves.   
  
Anyway now that I've talked until your brains have turned to water and run out your ears, please review!! 


	8. cha 8

The slide down the tunnel was quite disconcerting for Ash, not only because he had no control of his body as he slipped down the muddy slope, but also because he couldn't see where he was going. Pikachu, in a panic, had dug his claws into Ash's hair and was clinging to him for dear life, successfully filling Ash's vision with nothing but yellow fur. He suddenly landed hard on his rear with a jolt, Pikachu still attached to him.   
  
Misty quickly followed, sliding from the steep tunnel directly into Ash's lap. They sat for a moment, dazed, until Misty realized her position and quickly scrambled to stand.   
  
Ash pried the yellow pokemon from his face and began to pet him, calming the tense rodent. It was, Ash observed, fortunate that Pikachu had fallen with them, for he provided them with plenty of light to see their new surroundings.   
  
They had fallen into another cavern, although this one was much smaller than any of the caverns they had yet visited. The other attribute that set this cavern apart was the fact that the floor was covered in a thick layer of mud. Ash and Misty almost didn't notice this until they realized the back of their clothes were wet and heavy from the mud that had clung to them after sliding down the tunnel.   
  
"Ugh," Misty said, spreading her arms wide and twisting to see her mud covered back.  
  
Ash just looked up at her before pushing his hand into the soggy earth for balance and standing.   
  
"Pikachu pi!" Pikachu called as he quickly scrambled up Ash's pants and shirt to take his place on his shoulder.  
  
"Pikachu!" Ash said, exasperated. Small muddy paw prints were now visible upon the front of his pants and shirt, which had been relatively clean compared to the rest of him.  
  
"Where are we?" Misty asked, looking around the small cave.  
  
"It looks like an underground cave," Ash answered as he tried in vain to remove some of the mud that remained plastered to his clothes.  
  
"Brilliant," Misty said, rolling her eyes. "Not like I couldn't have figured that out on my own."  
  
"Then why did you ask?" Ash said, a small smile on his lips.  
  
"I wanted to know if you knew how to get out," she retorted. "I should have known you wouldn't. You were always getting us lost."  
  
"Oh, let it go already," Ash said, rolling his eyes. "That was years ago."  
  
"Yes, and I can see your sense of direction hasn't gotten any better!"  
  
Pikachu settled himself on Ash's shoulder, ready for another long Ash and Misty fight.   
  
"Hey!" Ash cried. "I didn't LEAD us in here! We just fell!"  
  
Misty raised her eyebrows, the result giving her a maddeningly superior look. "If I recall, you were LEADING the group."  
  
"I didn't... Oh, forget it!" Ash yelled.  
  
Misty smiled. Then she began to laugh, her voice echoing off the close walls.   
  
Ash stared at her in astonishment.  
  
Seeing his expression she said, "That's the most we've talked since you showed up at the gym. It's a shame I had to get you in a fight before you would talk to me."  
  
He eyed her wearily before heading over to the tunnel they had slid down. "It's kind of hard to talk to someone when they are ignoring you," he said, his back to her.   
  
"What?" she nearly yelled the question, but restrained herself. She watched as Pikachu struggled to climb up the slick tunnel before sliding back into Ash's arms. "We didn't ignore you."  
  
He shot a skeptical glance over his shoulder.   
  
She sighed and began to play with her braid, at least until she realized it was caked with mud. She scrunched up her nose and threw the braid back over her shoulder. "Okay, maybe we did ignore you a bit."  
  
Before Ash could say anything they heard Gary's voice calling down to them. Ash called back that they were okay but stuck.   
  
"Hang on," Gary called. "We'll figure something out."  
  
Pikachu climbed back onto Ash's shoulder as Ash turned to face Misty.  
  
"Ash?" Misty said, wondering how to phrase the question she had in a way that wouldn't make him angry or cause him to shut himself off from her.  
  
He looked at her expectantly.  
  
"Why didn't you seem happy when Lorelei told you that you could have won the Pokemon League?"  
  
His head jerked up in surprise and for a moment he only stared at her.  
  
Misty thought he was not going to answer, or worse, he was going to yell at her, but instead he said softly, "Isn't it obvious? That was my dream." He lowered his eyes. "It represents all I ever wanted: to be the best and to share that success with my family and friends. Now it represents everything I've lost."  
  
Misty didn't know what she had expected him to say, but that hadn't been it.   
  
"Did you know Tracey had joined Team Rocket?" Ash asked suddenly.  
  
Misty shook her head, completely shocked. Tracey? In Team Rocket?  
  
"We were sent to stop the uprisings in the Orange Islands," Ash explained.  
  
"I thought Tracey was still with Professor Oak," Misty said, confused.  
  
"He moved back to the islands not long after Giovanni's takeover," Ash told her. "The islands were not under such strict rules back then." He paused, then began the story. "He saw me during one of the riots, after some Rockets had set fire to his town. His home was gone, so was his family. It's my fault he joined; he thought of me as his brother and wanted to be near what he considered the only family he had left." Ash shook his head. "The things they do in Team Rocket ... to pokemon ... to humans. It wasn't surprising he couldn't handle it."  
  
Misty opened her mouth to speak but Ash continued.  
  
"He deserted after a year and a half."  
  
"What happened?" Misty asked.   
  
"He was shot in the back as he boarded the ferry to go back to the islands."  
  
Misty's hand flew to her mouth. It was then Misty realized that Ash had grown from a dense pokemon trainer to a young man who had seen far to much pain and death for having lived such a short time.  
  
They stood in silence for a moment before Misty remembered when Ash had once called Gary a "crack shot."  
  
"Did Gary..." she trailed off.  
  
"No," Ash said, understanding what she was asking. "We weren't that well known in Team Rocket yet. Butch and Cassidy handled it."  
  
"But when you were well known, did Gary ever..." again she didn't finish her sentence.   
  
Ash averted his eyes and did not answer her.  
  
"Did you?" she whispered. Again he said nothing.  
  
Misty lowered her gaze and it was then she realized that her shoes weren't only wet because of the thick mud she was standing in. The small cavern was filling with water. This combined with the story Ash had just told her made her feel nauseous. "What's taking so long?" she yelled up the tunnel.  
  
After a moment of silence Misty said, "I'm sorry, Ash."  
  
He looked at her in astonishment. "For what?"  
  
"I'm sorry you were forced to do that." She placed a hand on his arm. "It must be eating you up inside."  
  
Ash smiled gratefully at her words, as if he had been searching for understanding and had finally been given it.  
  
"What's going on up there?" Misty muttered, changing the subject and gazing up the dark tunnel for any sign of help.  
  
The water had reached their knees in no time at all. "Gary hurry, the water is rising really fast," Ash called.  
  
They listened; there was no response. They waited, and soon the water had climbed past their waists and there was still no indication that any help was on the way.  
  
"Ash," Misty said suddenly, biting her lip nervously. "There's something I have been wanting to tell you and now seems like as good a time as any."  
  
Ash quirked an eyebrow at this, for he could think of plenty of better times to tell him something.  
  
Misty began to play with her braid before she took a deep breath and blurted out, "I have feelings for you."  
  
"What?" Ash spluttered, clearly not expecting that. Misty hadn't seen him look so dumbfounded since he had seen Brock go girl crazy for the first time.   
  
Ash closed his eyes, marveling at how much more complicated his life had just become.   
  
~*~*~  
  
She hadn't thought it would ever happen, but she found herself thanking God she was short.  
  
"All right you three," Butch said, aiming his gun at them. "Let's go."  
  
It had only taken Erika a moment to notice that he had said three instead of four. She realized that in standing behind the very tall Gary, Brock, and Lorelei she was effectively hidden from the Rocket's view. It also helped that the light emanating from the Arcanine was not strong enough to greatly illuminate her position.  
  
"Drop the gun Shigeru," Cassidy ordered.  
  
Sighing, Gary obeyed, tossing the gun a few feet from himself.  
  
"No," Butch said, a sneer on his face. "Into the hole."  
  
Gary glared at him, his steely gray eyes boring into Butch's, before sweeping the gun into the hole with his foot. They all listened until the clatter of the gun was inaudible.  
  
All the while Erika had begun slowly slinking backward, silently praying she could make it around the corner behind her without being seen. When she was out of sight she leaned heavily against the wall, wishing the Rockets would hurry and exit the tunnel. She knew Ash and Misty didn't have much time before the cavern they were trapped in filled up with water. Erika also had a feeling that without Ash Gary didn't have much time either, at least judging by the almost crazed look in Butch's eyes every time he pointed his gun at Gary.   
  
There was an exchange between Gary and Butch that resulted in some name calling, then she heard Cassidy order them out of the tunnel. Only when the tunnel had become silent did Erika dare to look around the corner.   
  
She was alone, the tunnel having been left dark and empty. Breathing a sigh of relief Erika turned on her flashlight, then rushed to the hole where the length of rope still sat. Tossing it into the hole she waited until she felt a tug before securing it tightly to a nearby stalagmite.  
  
She watched the rope anxiously until Misty appeared through the hole. "What the hell took you guys-" The redhead stopped when she saw that Erika was the only one there.  
  
Ash was not far behind Misty. Both stood looking curiously around, water dripping off their muddy and drenched clothing.   
  
Pikachu had emerged with Ash and his presence relit the tunnel.  
  
"What happened?" Ash asked, frowning.  
  
Erika quickly related all that had happened and Ash's scowl deepened.  
  
"How do they keep finding us?" he said before breaking into a run towards the entrance, Pikachu on his heels.   
  
When Ash stopped abruptly, Misty and Erika nearly plowed into him. From their position they could hear Cassidy's arrogant voice as she ordered Gary and the others onto the large ship that Team Rocket had used to get to Seafoam Isle.   
  
"Erika," Ash said, turning to look at her. "I need you to distract them. Just coming out of the cave should do it, they won't know where you came from."  
  
Erika nodded, nervously adjusting her red headband.  
  
Turning to Misty, Ash said, "Do you have Gary's gun?"  
  
She nodded, pulling it from the waist of her jeans.  
  
"I want you to cover my back," Ash said, pulling his staff from it's holster and wiping dried mud from it. He looked back at the two women; Misty especially seemed apprehensive about her task.  
  
Noting her expression of doubt he said, "Now covering my back does not mean shooting me in the back."  
  
Pikachu, who sat at Ash's feet, snorted at this. Misty shot Ash a glare. Ash was only teasing, for he knew that Misty had greatly improved her shooting skills since her first feeble attempts.  
  
Ignoring him, Misty opened the chamber of Gary's gun and was pleased to find it fully loaded. She closed it with a satisfying click.  
  
Ash nodded. "Be careful," he told Erika. "Be sure to get them out of the way when all hell breaks loose."  
  
Words failing her she gave a brisk nod and began to make her way out of the cavern.  
  
Brock, Gary, and Lorelei all stood facing the Rocket's, jackets and hair being blown by the ocean wind.   
  
"Guys?" Erika called loudly, purposely drawing attention to herself. "Where did you-" She stopped abruptly, pretending to just now see the Rockets.  
  
As soon as she had spoken several guns and all eyes were on her. She quickly threw her arms in the air, surrendering. Cassidy ordered her to join the others and she obeyed.   
  
"Erika are you insane?" Brock hissed.   
  
She ignored the question. "When the shooting starts get to cover," she muttered.  
  
Upon hearing this, Gary allowed the corner of his mouth to tilt in amusement but did not make any other obvious actions to signal something was going to happen.  
  
While the Rockets had all been watching Erika, Ash and Misty had snuck around behind them, taking cover behind the boat that had been abused by the vicious gyrados.  
  
"Okay Misty," Ash whispered when they were situated. "When I say to, take out the man near Gary, preferably in the arm. We need to get Gary a weapon."  
  
Misty nodded, swallowing nervously.  
  
He noticed the action and placed his hand on her arm. "You'll be fine," he told her sincerely. "Just stay out of sight.  
  
She nodded again, forcing the sudden emotions in her out of her mind. Nothing could distract her, especially not what Ash had said in response to her confession. She smiled and shook her head. She would think about that later.   
  
Neither Butch nor Cassidy knew quite what to do when a yellow blur came running onto the beach, kicking up sand as it moved. Coming right into their line of vision it stopped abruptly and they found themselves staring at a pikachu that now sat between them and the rebels. Clicking could be heard across the beach as a number of guns were aimed at the pokemon.   
  
"Pi?" he asked sweetly, cocking his head and staring at the Rockets.  
  
"You don't think Satoshi..." Butch began.  
  
"No," Cassidy snapped. "The little rodent just found its way out. Satoshi, with any luck, is already dead."  
  
"Pikapi?" the electric mouse asked, moving a few steps closer to the Rockets, his ears perked slightly, before sitting.  
  
"Keep your gun on it," Cassidy told Butch. "If there is so much as a spark from it, shoot it."  
  
"Pikachu pi?" Pikachu asked, before again moving closer a few steps and sitting once more, a curious expression upon its face. He now sat close to Cassidy's feet.  
  
The Rocket's watched the little pokemon in fascination and slowly most the the guns began to lower, until Butch was the only one left, his finger still on the trigger.  
  
Pikachu sniffed the air, his ears twitching. He then took everyone by surprise by jumping into Cassidy's arms with a loud, "Cha!" He moved around, making himself comfortable before saying, "Pi chu pikachu pi."  
  
Cassidy appeared absolutely horrified at having Pikachu snuggle in her arms. "What the hell is it saying?" she asked Gary.  
  
"How should I know?" Gary replied with a shrug. "I'm not his trainer."  
  
Pikachu climbed onto Cassidy's shoulder, then onto her head, pushing her blonde hair into her eyes. She remained utterly still as one might be when they had something particularly nasty crawling on them. The yellow pokemon looked at Butch then said, "Pikachu pi pikachu kachu pi."  
  
"Oh, I know what he said!" Gary called.  
  
"What?" Butch asked, looking at him.  
  
Gary grinned as he translated. "You wont see any sparks because I powered up in the cave."  
  
Butch spun around to look at the electric rodent but it was too late. Pikachu had leapt from Cassidy's head and while in the air released a powerful thunderbolt, knocking a third of the Rockets immediately unconscious.   
  
Before Butch or Cassidy could react, a gunshot rang out and the man closest to Gary fell to his knees, clutching his wounded arm. Gary lunged for the dropped rifle and ran for the cave, which provided sufficient cover and a good position for shots.   
  
The rest of the group headed for the boat, where Ash had just come sprinting from bravely (or stupidly) heading into the mayhem that had just been created.  
  
Shouts rang out from confused Rockets as more in their ranks fell from Misty's bullets. In a rage Cassidy had ripped Butch's pistol from his grasp and had begun to unload the gun at Pikachu, who's agility allowed the pokemon to easily dodge the bullets.  
  
Fortunately an unarmed Butch did nothing to help the Rocket's cause and made Ash's job easier. It was difficult enough fighting the other Team Rocket members who occasionally took a shot at him without having to dodge bullets from Butch's expert shots.  
  
The fact that Ash was vastly outnumbered did not seem to phase him. He thrived on this sort of thing. The more dangerous the odds and the less likely he was to make it out alive, the more he liked it. The Rockets rounded on Ash like a swarm of bees on a man who disturbed its nest.  
  
Gary and Misty slowly picked off the Rockets on the outside of the group, paying particular attention to those who were taking aim at Ash.   
  
Butch had finally taken his gun from Cassidy and, using a nearby rock for cover, he began taking shots at Gary who removed his attention from Ash and focused it on Butch.  
  
Pikachu, now free from Cassidy's barrage of bullets, began helping by shocking as many Rockets as he could, until through everyone's combined eforrts the swarm of Rockets had diminished to little more than ten men. These men backed warily away from Ash, who was spinning his bow menacingly, but not to far back, for Pikachu stood not far behind them, crouched on all fours sparks emitting from his cheeks.  
  
Through the chaos a gunshot could be heard. It wasn't that unusual since gunfire had been erupting ever since Misty had taken the first shot. What made this shot different is that the shooter aimed with every intention to kill.  
  
No one had realized what had happened until Pikachu cried out in despair. The sound of the cry turned Gary's stomach to lead and he watched in horror as Ash fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Looking around wildly his eyes came to rest on Cassidy, who stood with a fallen teammate's gun in her hand, smiling triumphantly. Making her way through the remaining standing Rockets, who had gathered around the fallen form of Ash, she knelt, rolling him onto his back.   
  
"Pity," she called, loud enough for at least Gary to hear. "He's still alive." The wind from the ocean blew her disheveled hair from her face as she stood, pressing her heel into Ash's stomach, causing him to emit a low moan.   
  
Removing the safety of her gun with a click, she aimed it at Ash's head. "Put down your weapons and come out, or this time I'll make sure he's dead."  
  
  
  
A/N: And again with the horrible cliffhangers. What is the matter with me? Oh, and did anyone notice my lie about the pairings coming out in this chapter? It wasn't meant to be a lie, but I think I'll leave the actual content of Misty and Ash's conversation out of the picture until I can devote more time and energy to it. Sorry kids, you still have to wait on the couplings. Please forgive the long waits between chapters, life stinks and finds all sorts of ways to suck up all your free time. I have a few email addresses that don't work when I try to mail you a notice about the updates. If you didn't get an email telling you I updated please let me know. I hope to post the next chapter soon but you know how that is. Please review! 


	9. cha 9

It was silent for a long moment and the only movement was that of hair and clothing being whipped about in the wind.   
  
Misty remained where she was, Gary's gun still gripped in her hand. Despite her need to help Ash, she knew that she was not the one who could make that decision. She and the other rebels remained safely hidden behind the boat, staring at the entrance to the cave where Gary had earlier taken refuge.   
  
Misty held her breath in anticipation as Cassidy squatted next to Ash, took a handful of his hair and forced his head up, placing her gun under his chin. "Shigeru! You are trying my patience." Butch stood next to her, his rifle in hand, waiting for a target to present itself.   
  
Misty bit her lip to keep from screaming in frustration. By surrendering they were placing their lives in the hands of Giovanni, who very likely had lost patience with them and wanted them dead. But in remaining where they were, hidden from view and danger, then Ash was certain to be killed.   
  
It was then that Gary appeared from the entrance to the cave, throwing the rifle he had been using to the ground, and placing his hands in the air.   
  
Her stomach clenched as Butch quickly aimed at him, his finger gently resting on the trigger of his rifle, ready to shoot if Gary tried anything. She had to do something, anything. Raising the pistol in her hand, she searched the beach, looking for a target that would somehow get them out of this mess. Misty knew as well as Gary that if he surrendered he would be killed. Gary's gaze met hers and for a moment they simply stared. He shook his head slowly, sadly, warning her not to try anything.  
  
Misty slowly lowered the gun, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. He was willing to give himself up, despite the fact that this was a trap. They all knew that Cassidy had no intention of letting Ash live, and she and Butch would make sure Gary didn't make it off the beach alive.   
  
Gary broke eye contact with her and slowly began to walk towards Butch and Cassidy. His hair was pushed from his face by the wind, but his expression remained steady. Misty was so intent in watching what would unfold that she didn't notice when the wind picked up. It wasn't until her clothes began to whip around violently that she noticed anything out of the ordinary.   
  
A gasp from behind her caused Misty to turn to her companions. She saw Lorelei staring up at the sky, a huge grin on her face. The others simply looked on in wonder. She turned to see what had created such a reaction and had to refrain from gasping herself.   
  
Above the Rockets hovered one of the largest pokemon Misty had ever seen. She marveled, openmouthed, at how its small wings were able to keep such a large body in the air.  
  
The Rockets scattered as the dragonite landed with a thud. It was then that Misty saw that the dragonite had a rider. A dark haired man leapt from the large pokemon ad landed in what had become a ring of Rockets. Cassidy had stood, leaving Ash alone, in order to command the remainder of her troops, which had been diminished to a small number thanks to Ash.   
  
"Lance," Cassidy said, pushing her way to the center of the ring, her gun at her side. "Come to save your wife?" she taunted.   
  
Lance did not answer, he merely glared at her, his arms crossed. His dragonite snorted, dragging its clawed foot across the sand.   
  
Cassidy narrowed her eyes at the pokemon. With a gesture of her hand, the Rockets all had pokeballs in their hands. With a grin she maximized her own pokeball, and threw it into the ring.   
  
In a flash of energy Lance and his dragonite were surrounded by nearly fifteen pokemon of different size, shape, and elements. Lance only smirked, and with a roar Dragonite attacked.  
  
As Lance battled the Rockets' pokemon, Gary was able to make it to Ash's side. The wounded man's eyes were closed, but scrunched up in pain, his hand clutching his stomach. Gary could see the blood seeping between his fingers.   
  
"Ash?" Gary asked, kneeling next to him.  
  
Ash opened his eyes and looked at him. "What's going on?" he asked, frowning at the sudden sound of vicious pokemon battling.  
  
Gary ignored the question. "Let me see," he said, gently pulling Ash's hand from the bullet wound. He sighed when he saw the quickly growing crimson stain on his shirt.  
  
"Pretty bad?" Ash asked through clenched teeth.  
  
"Can't tell yet," Gary said, slowly lifting his shirt, the blood causing it to cling to Ash's skin. The blood surrounding the wound made it impossible for Gary to evaluate the damage the bullet may have done. He ripped a piece of cloth from Ash's shirt and pressed it to the wound. Ash hissed in pain.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized. "I have to stop the bleeding."  
  
Ash nodded but said nothing.  
  
There was a flash of light and then a chilling cry of a pokemon. Gary tensed for a moment and turned. He watched in a horrified trance as the snarling dragonite used a slam attack, crushing an already injured bulbasaur. He heard the terrified cry of its trainer right before the dragonite turned towards the human, then nothing as the human was crushed as his pokemon had been.  
  
Gary had seen pokemon die, he had also seen humans die, but never before had he seen a pokemon so powerful and so vicious that it would kill not only a pokemon, but it would attack and kill a human as well. Another flash of light forced Gary to tear his eyes from the dragonite and look at Pikachu, who had joined the fray and fried a pidgey that had been diving at him. He also noticed that Pikachu was taking care to remain away from the rampaging dragonite.  
  
"Is Pikachu okay?" Ash asked.  
  
"He's fine," he said, turning back to Ash.  
  
Anguished cries of humans and pokemon filled the air as the dragonite continued its attack. Gary repressed a shudder and forced himself to concentrate fully on Ash.  
  
He lifted the cloth he had been using as a compress and checked the wound. Now that some of the blood was gone Gary could see that the bullet wound resided near his abdomen. A few inches and the bullet could have hit a lung.   
  
A loud roar and a bright flash caused Gary to look again at the battle behind him. His jaw dropped when he saw the once clean sand now littered with bodies of both humans and pokemon. Some were crushed, others electrocuted. His eyes widened when he saw the blood dripping from the dragonite's mouth. Surely Lance wouldn't... his slowly gave a closer look to the bodies on the sand. His stomach lurched when he noticed some of them were missing appendages, arms and legs were simply gone. Gary's gaze then moved to Lance, who remained exactly where he had been when the battle had started. The man seemed unfazed by the fact that his pokemon had just eaten human flesh. Never before had Gary seen anything like that, and he prayed he would never see anything like it again.  
  
When he turned back to Ash he saw that his friend was now unmoving save for the rise and fall of his chest.   
  
"Ash?" Gary asked. When he received no answer he began to lightly slap him on the face. "Come on, Ash, you have to stay awake."  
  
The only response he received was a low moan. "Damnit!" he muttered before trying again to wake him up. He was so focused on Ash that he didn't notice the large shadow that had suddenly been cast over them.   
  
"Oh, give it up," a low voice said from behind him. "He's a Rocket. Not worth saving."  
  
Gary nearly choked in rage as he spun to face the speaker, only to come face to chest with Lance's dragonite. He took an unsteady step backwards and looked up to see Lance staring with cold eyes down at both him and Ash, who had fallen unconscious.   
  
"Excuse me?" Gary all but yelled, ignoring the danger he had suddenly found himself in. "What do you know about him? Or anyone for that matter?"  
  
"Oh come on," Lance said, leaning forward so his dark hair fell over his navy blue eyes. "You're Shigeru, and that thing down there is Satoshi. You two are the most notorious agents Giovanni has."  
  
Gary's fists curled into balls as he angrily stared up at the dragon trainer. A warning snort from the dragonite prevented him from doing anything though.   
  
"Pika!" Ash's pokemon called as he ran towards his trainer. Gary took his attention from Lance to Ash, who's face was now contorted in pain, despite his being unconscious. Gary quickly knelt to see what was wrong.   
  
He ignored Lance, who had gotten off of Dragonite. He couldn't ignore the soft click of a safety by his ear though. "Get up," Lance said, pointing his pistol at Gary's temple.  
  
Gary looked at him, then slowly stood, glaring angrily.   
  
"Now you can watch him die before I kill you," Lance spat.  
  
Pikachu dropped to all fours and began to power up, sparks emitting from his red cheeks.   
  
Lance nodded to his dragonite, who, with speed uncommon for such a large creature used a wrap attack, squeezing the little pokemon so hard he could barely breathe, let alone use an attack.  
  
Gary watched as Ash grew pale and beads of sweat formed on his face, leading Gary to believe he had a fever. He cast a dark look at Lance but stood helpless. He was unarmed and it was rumored that Lance had a black-belt in the martial arts. That put him near the same league as Ash, which was way out of Gary's league.   
  
Ash's breathing began to come in wheezes and Gary frowned. He shouldn't be struggling for air. The bullet hadn't hit a lung. Gary turned to Lance. "Please let me help him," he begged, something Gary was not prone to doing.   
  
Lance shook his head, grinning. "First he goes then you. Just like the rest of your team mates," he said gesturing to the Rockets who laid dead or unconscious across the beach.  
  
Gary closed his eyes in frustration. Throwing caution to the wind he began to yell. "You took out about ten or fifteen of those men. Who do you think took care of the other thirty-five before you got here?" he shouted. "Do you think a large gust of wind just blew them over?"  
  
Lance's expression wavered, and for a moment Gary thought he had gotten through to the cold man. But then he realized that Lance wasn't looking at him, but over his shoulder. Gary turned to see Lorelei moving unsteadily towards them, a look of near hysteria plastered on her face as she carefully walked around the bodies that lay on the sand. The others followed mutely behind her, looking very much like they were going to be sick.  
  
"Ash!" he heard Misty cry. She ran and fell to her knees next to him, slowly pushing his hair from his face.  
  
"Lance," Lorelei said when she neared them. Gary could see her eyes frantically searching out her husband's. "What did you do?" she asked, gesturing towards the dead bodies.   
  
"They were Rockets. They deserved what happened to them."  
  
Lorelei shook her head. "They were human. No one deserves... that."  
  
"They would have killed you without a second thought, and you feel pity for them?" Lance asked in disbelief.  
  
Lorelei didn't answer for her gaze had fallen on Lance's gun, which remained trained on Gary, although his hand had began to shake. "What are you doing?" she asked, looking first at Lance, then at Gary.  
  
Moving forward she took the gun from his hand. "What is wrong with you?" she asked harshly.   
  
As soon as the threat was gone Gary dropped to his knees to examine Ash. Misty scrambled back to give him room. Pushing Ash's now damp hair from his face Gary felt his forehead, which was burning up with fever. His breathing was still coming in irregular gasps and Gary had no idea why.   
  
Erika and Brock stood worriedly over Gary, casting wary looks in Lance's direction every now and then. Lorelei had made Lance command Dragonite to release Pikachu, who quickly scampered to Ash's side, but staying far enough away to not disrupt Gary.   
  
Gary checked the bullet wound again. It was still bleeding, but not nearly as badly as before and it was not near his lungs. "So why is he having trouble breathing?" he muttered to himself. The sun beat down on them and caused Ash's sweaty face to glisten. "And why the fever?"  
  
All eyes turned quickly to Gary when he tensed then straightened up. "Shit," he said suddenly. "Shit."  
  
"What?" Brock asked. "What is it?"  
  
Gary didn't answer. Instead he gathered the unconscious form of Ash into his arms and stood, making his way quickly toward the large Team Rocket ship, which still sat floating by the dock. Pikachu was the first of the group to follow, sprinting quickly after Gary. The others exchanged worried glances before hurrying to catch up.   
  
They followed him onto the boat, which was the size of a small battle ship and had enough weapons to be one. Gary had apparently been on this ship or one like it before, because he quickly made his way around the deck and down a flight of metal stairs without so much as a pause. Their boots echoed off the metal floors as they hurried to follow Gary, who now and then would utter a swear.  
  
He stopped in front of a door that seemed no different from any of the other doors that lined the hallway under the deck except that it had a small red cross stenciled next to it. Pushing the door open with his foot, he turned sideways so he didn't bump Ash's head against the door frame. He walked into a large room full of cots. Gary quickly laid Ash down on one of the cots and made his way across the sickbay, opening drawers and pulling out what appeared to be surgical equipment. In the silence of the room Ash's wheezy breaths were more audible than they had been on the beach.  
  
"Gary what's going on?" Misty asked, becoming fearful as he took a scalpel and a few other tools back to where Ash was.   
  
"The bullet has to come out," Gary said, pouring rubbing alcohol over the instruments to sterilize them. "Now."  
  
"Isn't that dangerous?" Lorelei asked, following him with her eyes. "Shouldn't a professional do it?"  
  
"Yes," Gary said, although he never paused in his movements. "There's no time though."  
  
Erika, who had been silent until this point, moved to where Ash was and knelt beside him. Placing her hand lightly on his forehead she felt his temperature which was a good two or three degrees above 100. "How did they poison him?" she asked suddenly, after feeling his pulse.  
  
Gary glanced at Erika for a moment before using the instruments for an impromptu surgery. He was extremely grateful Ash was unconscious for the whole thing.   
  
"Team Rocket was developing a bullet that would release poison into the body after it hit."  
  
"Like a poison dart?" Brock questioned.  
  
"Yes," Gary agreed, "But with the added pain of a bullet in you."  
  
"That way if the bullet doesn't finish you off, the poison will," Brock said, understanding.   
  
"What is the poison made of?" Erika asked, examining Ash.   
  
"They were experimenting with arbok venom."  
  
Erika nodded. "The symptoms are consistent of that venom."  
  
Gary suddenly pulled the bullet out. Despite the blood the group could see that it was an acid green color.   
  
Dropping the bullet with a clink into a small tin he looked at Erika. "Can you make an antidote?"  
  
She nodded. "If the right ingredients are on board."  
  
"Hurry," he said, looking at Ash's sweaty form, which had just begun to shiver from chills. "There's not much time."  
  
  
  
A/N: Never write with the Lord of the Rings soundtrack playing unless you want to write something depressing or gory, or a combination of the two, which is what I appeared to end up doing. Sorry to those of you who are a bit sqeamish about the idea of a person being eaten... I honestly don't know where that came from. The Lance I had originally intended to write was a nice guy, who held a good deal of hatred for Team Rocket... the Lance I wrote... well he's not so nice. He took on a life of his own. Please forgive the long waits, I'm doing my best.   
  
I want to respond to a reviewer, who thoroughly confused me. I never said that it wasn't the government's right to do search and seizure. I simply said that this fic is a look into what might happen if the government got out of control... and if we all lived in the pokemon world... I don't have any problem with the government or the way its run, and I'm not sure exactly why you feel I should remove my author's note.  
  
Anyway, I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Please review and let me know wat you think. 


	10. cha 10

Brushing Ash's dark locks from his forehead, Erika checked his temperature. It was still higher than it should be, but he felt cooler than he had two hours before. Erika smiled, taking this decrease in temperature as a sign that the antidote she had created was working.   
  
She sat in the chair next to Ash's bed and simply watched him. He was still unconscious, but his breathing had become more regular as the antidote began to work its way through his system. Despite the fact that he had begun to regain some of his usual color, he still remained pale; his black hair contrasted greatly with his white skin.   
  
It pained Erika to see him so still and sick. In the time she knew him, Ash was never one to be motionless. He enjoyed being active, which was one the many qualities of his that she found endearing. There was something about Ash that simply drew her to him, a bond she couldn't identify. He had lied to her, left her, and broken her heart, and yet she found herself yearning to be held by him. The mixed feelings she still held for him frustrated and confused her, but she felt calm whenever she could simply be near him, enjoying his presence.   
  
She smiled as her eyes came to rest on Pikachu, who had fallen asleep on Ash's chest, being rocked up and down as his trainer breathed. A wave of sadness overtook her and she stood to leave. Pikachu reminded her of the pokemon she had lost, and Ash ... well, he was the source of too many memories.   
  
Erika jumped when she turned to leave and saw Gary standing behind her. He sent her an apologetic smile and walked towards her. "How is he?" he asked.   
  
"Better," Erika told him, watching as Gary bent over to examine Ash more closely.   
  
He straightened, nodding. "We're lucky you are so good with poisons." He studied her for a moment. "Why is that, by the way?"  
  
Erika shrugged. "I trained grass pokemon. They deal with poisons and powders and such." She grinned. "You didn't think that perfume was the only thing I knew how to brew?"  
  
They were silent for a moment, both looking at Ash.  
  
"Is he always so reckless?" Erika asked suddenly.  
  
Gary shot her a questioning look.  
  
"I mean, he tried to take on fifty people, single handed," she explained. "What was he thinking?"  
  
Gary smiled sadly. "I'm not sure he even stops and thinks about things like that."  
  
"Well, he's going to get himself killed!" Erika said with a little more emotion than she meant to.   
  
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Sometimes, Erika, I wonder if that isn't his goal."  
  
Erika looked at him sharply. "What?"  
  
"There are times I feel like he's given up on life, you know?"  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, her throat suddenly tight. "Suicide?"  
  
"No," Gary said, shaking his head firmly. "He would never do that, but he never hesitates to put himself in danger."  
  
"That could just be bravery," Erika said.   
  
Gary shrugged. "Or maybe he feels as though he's got nothing to lose."  
  
Silence descended upon the two, until all that could be heard was Ash's breathing and Pikachu's soft snoring.  
  
"Well, either way," Gary said, breaking the silence. "Ash has the luck of a leprechaun rubbing a rabbit's foot while wearing a horseshoe for a necklace." He began to walk out. "Maybe that'll be enough to keep him with us.   
  
He exited the sick bay, leaving Erika to stare at Ash as she pondered her thoughts.   
  
~*~*~  
  
When Ash finally floated back into consciousness he found himself alone, save for a sleeping pikachu on his chest. He shifted his weight and his breath hitched when pain shot through his abdomen. He ached all over, from the roots of his hair to his toes.   
  
The movement was enough to wake up Pikachu, who raised his head and stared sleepily at Ash. After the pain become less noticeable, Ash smiled at the pokemon and pet his head. Pikachu lowered his head contentedly, happy his trainer was awake.   
  
"What's going on, Pikachu?" Ash asked, his whole body tensing when he recognized the room to be from a Team Rocket ship.  
  
Pikachu yawned before explaining to Ash exactly what had happened after Ash had been shot.   
  
Ash relaxed when he realized he wasn't captured and everyone was all right. "Lance, huh?" He murmured, contemplating the idea of the greatest pokemon trainer in the world having what seemed to be a personal vendetta against him.   
  
He was torn from his thoughts by loud shouts coming from outside his room.   
  
"I don't care what Lorelei says!" A deep voice hollered. "I don't trust you as far as I can throw you."  
  
"Well, that's fortunate, because I would shoot your arm off before you could touch me."  
  
Ash recognized the second voice to be Gary's and he assumed the other voice belonged to Lance.  
  
"You weren't so confident yesterday, Oak," Lance said.   
  
Ash began to sit up and Pikachu leapt from his resting place on his chest. He groaned as his stomach severely protested the movement and waited a moment to allow the pain to subside before slowly swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He paused, then forced himself to ignore the pain as he stood. Using the wall for support, he began to make his way to the door, which seemed incredibly far from him.   
  
"I was unarmed yesterday. Today is an entirely different story."  
  
When Ash finally got to the door he placed one hand on the door knob and the other over his bandaged abdomen. With a deep breath he opened the door. He was hadn't thought it was possible for Gary and Lance to become any louder, but as soon as he opened the door the volume of their voices increased greatly. It was only then that Ash noticed he was working on a rather large headache.   
  
Neither man noticed Ash's sudden appearance at the door as they continued to threaten one another.   
  
Ash closed his eyes and leaned against the door frame, unable to fully support himself without help.   
  
"Are you threatening me?" Lance asked, malice in his voice. "Not that I'm surprised, you're nothing but a cold hearted murderer."  
  
"Me?" Gary all but screamed. "Who's Dragonite ATE people?"  
  
Ash's eyes opened in surprise and he turned his head to get a better look at Lance, who appeared unfazed by the accusation. Ash decided it was time to stop the argument before Lance beat Gary to a pulp, or Gary shot Lance.   
  
"As much as I hate to interrupt you two," Ash said, closing his eyes when he realized it even hurt to talk. "Would you mind keeping the arguments to a dull roar?"  
  
Both Gary and Lace visibly jumped, not having realized he was there.  
  
"Ash!" Gary said. "You shouldn't be walking around! You were shot yesterday."  
  
Ash shot him a dull look. "Really? I thought something was out of the ordinary."  
  
Gary rolled his eyes. "I can see your sense of humor remains intact. That's a good sign."  
  
Lance snorted, crossing his arms as he glared at the two of them. "Touching, really."  
  
Gary spun around, clearly ready to go at it with Lance once again but Ash stopped any further confrontation by stretching out his hand, saying, "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met. I'm Ash Ketchum."  
  
Lance stared at his outstretched hand with a look of disdain and made no move to take it. "I know who you are."  
  
"Ah," Ash said, letting his hand drop with a polite smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good."   
  
They glared at each other, Lance with open hatred, Ash with well masked emotions.   
  
"You'll get what's coming to you," Lance said through gritted teeth.   
  
"I certainly hope so," Ash replied calmly.  
  
Lance did not know what to say to that unexpected answer and so he simply turned and stormed off, leaving Ash and Gary standing in the hallway, albeit one was not standing so much as leaning, and he was beginning to find the prospect of remaining upright to be somewhat of a burden.   
  
When Lance was out of hearing distance Ash said, "Pleasant guy."  
  
"Yeah, he's a real sweetheart," Gary said sarcastically. "Come on, you really should be laying down."  
  
"I'm fine," Ash said, all the while leaning against the door frame with his arm over his wound.  
  
"Yeah," Gary said, looking at him skeptically. "That's why you're so white you could blend in with the walls."  
  
Ash sent him a glare. "Okay mother, help me get to bed."  
  
Gary choose to ignore the mother comment and helped Ash slowly make his way back to the cot.   
  
"So tell me," Ash said after sitting down. "What is this I heard about a man eating Dragonite?"  
  
Gary paled before turning slightly green. "You'll be happier not knowing, trust me."  
  
Ash shook his head. "You're probably right." Pikachu climbed into his lap, making himself comfortable but being sure not to bump Ash's wound. Ash felt the boat lean and cocked his head, watching as a bottle of rubbing alcohol fell off the table and rolled across the room. Looking at Gary he said, "I take it we aren't still docked at Seafoam?"  
  
Gary shook his head. "We're heading back to Fuchsia to meet up with Bruno and Agatha."  
A/N: I know, very short and not much action. Sorry. I wanted to have Ash have a confrontation with Lance, I believe there will be further problems between those two in the not to distant future. This chapter was more of a filler than anything, I used it to help flesh out Erika a bit more, eventually I will get to the part where the coupling's are revealed, but I wouldn't count on it too soon. I also introduced a new topic that I think will become important in later chapters, maybe you noticed or maybe you brushed past it. We shall see. Well, please review, every little bit helps. 


	11. cha 11

He enjoyed solitude. It gave him time to think, or to block all thoughts if that was what he needed. Drawing a deep breath he lost himself in his movements, focusing his mind on his steps: fluid motions and thrusts, combined with the swift jabs of his bow. He worked in silence, making no sound save for his breathing, which came as sharp blasts with each movement.   
  
He sensed her presence before he saw her, but continued his workout, not acknowledging her.   
  
She waited quietly, content to watch him. It amazed her how smoothly he could move, with hardly a rustle from even his pants or T-shirt.  
  
When he was finished he turned to her, leaning on his staff and panting slightly. The sweat on his forehead glistened in the moonlight.   
  
"Should you be pushing yourself so hard?" Erika asked as he lowered himself to the grass, setting his staff next to him. "It's only been a week or so since you were shot."  
  
"It doesn't hurt anymore," Ash told her. It wasn't a complete lie. The only indication that he had that he had even been shot was the raw pink skin that now covered the wound, and the burning he felt when training.   
  
She sat down beside him, welcoming the feeling of the cool grass. Grass was her element, it made her feel at home no matter where she was.  
  
They had reached the Safari Zone a little over a week before, and had been working with the rebels ever since. Bruno and Agatha had been training them well, they were all adequate with the weapons Jessie and James had manage to secure for them. Most dealt with normal firearms, while a select few had specialized with the elemental weapons.  
  
The only training the forces had not received had been martial arts and hand to hand combat, simply because Bruno was a fighter, but not a martial artist and Agatha preferred to remain the brains of the outfit. Unfortunately, this type of training was the cause of much controversy.   
  
Lance, who had until this point remained aloof from not only the rebel leaders, but the whole idea of a rebellion, suddenly decided to become involved when he realized the troops needed martial arts training. The controversy arose because everyone had assumed that this would be Ash's job.   
  
As black belts, both men were equally qualified for the job, although their one difference was their weapon choice. Ash remained loyal to his bow, while Lance preferred blades: swords and knives were his specialty.   
  
Ash, who was still recovering, actually did not mind that Lance wanted to train the rebels. It also seemed logical to train them to use knives, because the battle would undoubtedly be bloody, and he knew Team Rocket would not hesitate to use blades on the rebels. And while Ash would never say anything to Lance because he knew it would simply start a fight, the bow was slightly more difficult to master than blades.   
  
Unfortunately, this logic was lost on Gary, who had a severe problem with Lance training the troops. The resulting verbal spar nearly led to a fist fight and Bruno had to separate the two, as he was the only one big enough to intimidate either one of them.   
  
The rebels leaders, particularly Misty and Erika had chastised them both, exasperatedly explaining that fighting amongst themselves did nothing to help the rebellion's cause. The fight was against Giovanni, not each other. Ash had agreed, telling Lance to train the troops and devoting his time to training himself and coming up with strategies with Misty, Erika, Brock and Gary, since he and Gary had valuable information on the layout of Team Rocket's headquarters.   
  
The moon shone brightly above Ash and Erika, illuminating a great deal of the Safari Zone. It saddened them to see the land so bare and devoid of life. They had both been to the Safari Zone when it had been teeming with wild pokemon.   
  
"Pretty at night, isn't it?" Erika asked.  
  
Ash nodded.   
  
"We need to talk," they both said suddenly. They laughed, but became serious again after a moment. Ash knew that over the past week they had been growing closer, finding reasons to talk to one another and spending time in one another's company. He also knew that he could not lead her on anymore. He had to tell her the truth.   
  
"Erika," Ash began, but never finished his sentence as he was cut off by an angry yell.   
  
"Satoshi!"  
  
Ash and Erika turned to see Lance storming towards them. It was obvious it was him before they looked, for he was the only one in the Safari Zone who refused to call Ash and Gary by their proper names, maybe in an attempt to remind everyone that they had once been in Team Rocket.   
  
Ash sighed. "Yes, Lance?"  
  
"Have you been training troops behind my back?" the older man seethed.   
  
Ash raised his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I had a training session today and all the troops would say was 'Ash said to do it this way' or 'Ash said this gives you better balance.'"  
  
Ash rolled his eyes. "They were watching me train last night. They asked me questions and I answered them. I would hardly call it training."  
  
Lance didn't actually appear to be listening. Ash had quickly learned that once Lance had an idea in his head it was generally his mindset for the rest of time. Stubborn was too gentle a word to describe him.   
  
"Fine," Lance said crossing his arms. "You feel that you're better so we'll have to settle this."   
  
Ash blinked up at him. "Settle what?"  
  
Lance snorted in impatience. "Settle this argument over which one of us is stronger."  
  
Ash looked at Erika, who shrugged, then back up at Lance in bewilderment. "What argument? I never said I was better-"  
  
"You were thinking it."  
  
"Wha-"  
  
"We'll fight," Lance said with a tone of finality. "Prove once and for all that I am the better fighter."  
  
"But I don't want-"  
  
"God damnit, Satoshi!" Lance yelled, his temper flaring. "Stop talking and start fighting!" He suddenly lashed out and kicked Ash, catching him off guard. Erika cried out in surprise and alarms. The kick connected with his stomach and Ash rolled with the force, somersaulting backwards and springing to his feet. He stood now, his guard up, carefully watching Lance for his next move.   
  
Erika quickly took off to get someone, anyone who would be able to stop the fight; the two men were left alone.   
  
Ash focused completely on Lance, knowing he would not drop this until the two had fought. They began to circle one another, each searching for flaws in the other's movements and stance. Both were oblivious to their surroundings and did not notice when Erika came running back from camp huffing, Brock and Misty on her heels.   
  
By the time they reached the pair Lance had already attacked, throwing punches with incredible speed that Ash remarkably blocked with lightening quick reflexes. The group stopped and watched in awe. They had expected a fist fight, a brawl; to see two black belts fighting was an entirely different story.   
  
Most people in the camp had seen both men train but never had they seen them using their full potential. They moved with speed that seemed unrivaled and each jab thrown by one was blocked easily or countered by the other.   
  
More people began to gather, Agatha and Bruno having followed the others when they saw them go rushing from their tents. Rebels began to come, creating a semicircle around the fight.   
  
Misty watched wide eyed as Lance made the first connection as a sharp uppercut caught Ash in the chin, sending him to the ground. A loud sigh went up from the crowd who assumed the match was over. The sigh changed to a gasp when Ash quickly stood, wiping the blood from his mouth, and dropping into a ready stance.   
  
"Shouldn't you stop them?" Misty asked Gary, who was watching intently.   
  
The two men started again, this time Lance was on the receiving end of a well placed side kick which caused him to stumble but he was able to remain standing. In the dark only Ash was able to see the silent fury in Lance's eyes. He came at Ash again, his anger making his flurry of punches and kicks faster than ever. Ash took advantage of his anger and grabbed Lance's arm, twisting around and flipping the older man over his shoulder, throwing him to the ground.   
  
Raising his eyebrows at Misty after seeing this, Gary said, "Do you think I could?"  
  
In the moonlight it was difficult to make out which was which. At times all that was visible was their silhouettes as they perfectly matched one another's movements.   
  
Between attacks those in the crowd could hear a conversation between the two.   
  
"I don't understand why you hate me so much," Ash said after ducking under a spin kick.   
  
"Because," Lance grunted, not slowing his assault. "You were supposed to be the hero."  
  
This caught Ash off guard, giving Lance a chance to connect a roundhouse kick to his chest. Ash was thrown off balance and fell onto the ground. He recovered quickly and stood up again.   
  
"What are you talking about?" Ash asked while blocking two punches then sweeping Lance's legs out from under him with a low kick. Lance fell but swiftly flipped back to his feet.   
  
Both were becoming tired and their breaths were coming faster. "Oh, we heard all about you," Lance panted, dropping his stance and simply standing across from Ash. "You were the trainer from Pallet who thought with his heart, not his head. Always helping everyone, never turning your back on anyone!"  
  
Ash also relaxed his stance, staring at Lance in utter bewilderment.  
  
The crowd had grown silent as Lance spoke.   
  
"You were the hero, the trainer to look out for; all the gym leaders warned us about this Ash Ketchum." Lance was glaring at him as he spoke.  
  
Ash stood, his face expressionless, but his eyes showed strain as he listened to Lance's words.   
  
"You abandoned your principles at the first sign of trouble and became the enemy!" Lance accused.   
  
"Don't you think I tried?" Ash said quietly, but it had become so silent his words were clearly heard. "Yes, I was 'the hero' but Christ, I was only fifteen! There is only so much a fifteen year old can do alone. Giovanni wanted me to join him because of the problems I was causing. I would have died before joining Team Rocket, but I will not put innocent lives in jeopardy for me." He paused, running a hand through his hair, his voice flat and defeated. "And look what good it did. Pallet is still destroyed and my mother and friends are dead."  
  
He suddenly lifted his head to send an accusatory glare at Lance. "And where the hell were you? You sat around for years while Giovanni rose in power and when things got tough you ran away!"  
  
"Giovanni wanted me dead!"  
  
"I abandoned my principles to save others, you abandoned your people to save yourself," Ash said, his voice cold.  
  
"Save others?" Lance cried. "Save others?" He let out a bitter laugh. "How many people did you kill? How many did you let die on Giovanni's orders?"   
  
Lance's gaze whipped to Misty, Erika and Brock. "He's the best agent in Team Rocket." He looked at the rest of the crowd. "What do you think Giovanni used him for? Stealing pokemon? He's an assassin! A murderer!"  
  
A gasp rose from the crowd and all eyes were on Ash, who did not deny the charges, and looked away.  
  
It had never occurred to her. Erika knew Ash had been a top member of Team Rocket, but she had never thought about what his job had been. As she looked at the horrified faces of her companions she realized they too had never thought of it. Only Misty did not seem completely surprised, although if she had considered the possibility, her pale face showed that she hadn't allowed herself to believe it. She looked to Gary, who was looking on with a distracted expression, as though he was caught up in memories of another time.   
  
"We all have done things we regret," Ash said softly. "Nothing can change it."  
  
"Don't try to pretend you are human," Lance hissed. "You don't regret anything!" He lunged at him, knocking Ash off of his feet and onto the grass. Lance landed heavily on Ash and as they hit the ground Ash felt his newly healed abdomen begin to burn with pain from the force of the hit. Lance straddled him and began to punch him.  
  
Ash covered his face with his arms then using his legs, he was able to flip Lance off of him. Rolling backwards to his feet he stood, wrapping his arm around his throbbing abdomen.  
  
Lance struggled to his feet, breathing heavily. Ash's knee had dug into his stomach when he had been flipped over and he was now winded.   
  
It remained silent as the crowd looked on, uncertain as to whether the fight was over. It was not; Lance once again came at Ash this time with controlled punches and kicks.   
  
Ash remained defensive, blocking what he could. It was more difficult now, for the small burning he had felt in his abdomen now was a sharp pain at each movement. The pain slowed him down and distracted him and each of his blocks began to take more effort.  
  
"What's going on?" Lorelei asked, pushing her way through the large crowd that had gathered. When she finally saw what was happening she gasped in surprise. "Lance!" she called. "Ash!" She tried to run and stop them but Brock managed to grab her by the waist, pulling her back.   
  
"Don't!" he said warningly. "There's nothing you can do, you'll get hurt."  
  
Lorelei stopped struggling and watched helplessly.  
  
The crowd could see something was wrong with Ash. His movements were sluggish and he began to take more hits than he could block. His breaths were coming faster and those close enough could see the glean of sweat on his face.   
  
"He's hurt," Erika said, and Gary nodded.  
  
"Lance must have gotten a good hit on his wound."  
  
Lance knew he now had the upperhand and he intended to take full advantage of Ash's injury. With a thunderous roundhouse kick he sent him sprawling. Ash slid several feet across the dew covered grass before coming to a stop. He coughed a few times and rolled to his stomach trying to get up, but failing.   
  
"Well, Satoshi," Lance said, coming to stand over him triumphantly. "Looks like we know which of us is stronger."  
  
With speed no one realized he had left, Ash kicked his legs out, using one to force Lance's knees to buckle and the other to sweep his feet out from under him.   
  
"Perhaps stronger," Ash said, struggling to his feet. Although he was hurt, it was not as bad as he had fiend it to be. "But not smarter," he said as he looked down at him.  
  
Lance got to one knee and glared, realizing Ash had lulled him into a false sense of security.   
  
Ash almost didn't notice the flash of metal in Lance's hand until it was too late, but he was able to use his arms to stop the knife blade from slashing his throat as he landed on his back, Lance atop him once again. The two men struggled with one another, Lance using his body weight to force the knife closer to Ash, and growled, "I should have killed you when Shigeru was trying to save you."  
  
Ash ignored the comment and the increasing pain in his abdomen and gritted his teeth, using all his strength to keep the blade from piercing his throat.  
  
No sooner had Gary seen Lance pull the knife from his ankle sheath then Gary had pulled his gun from his holster.   
  
"No!" Lorelei cried when she saw him. "You can't," she pleaded.   
  
"Lorelei, he's trying to kill him!" Erika burst out.  
  
Gary was about to take the shot when Ash threw Lance off of him and rolled away from Lance, grabbing his bow.   
  
"When did this become a fight to the death?" Ash asked, standing and swinging his bow into his other hand.  
  
"When you killed my parents to get to me!"  
  
"What?" Ash asked in confusion.   
  
"What to many murders to remember?" Lance said, pained. "Let me refresh your memory. A happy older couple, burned alive in a raging house fire, started by a charizard belonging to Team Rocket's top member."  
  
Ash shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "That house was empty."   
  
"It was once it was finished burning," Lance said through gritted teeth.  
  
Ash continued to shake his head. "No. No, no."  
  
"Believe what you will, you killed them and I will kill you."  
  
They stood facing one other, each armed with their weapon of choice.   
  
One member of the crowd refused to watch Lance make his attempt on Ash's life and he was probably the only one who could actually stop the two black belts.   
  
"Pika!" Pikachu cried, running between the two and sparking, clearly warning Lance that if he tried to continue he would be in for a shocking experience.  
  
"Pikachu," Ash said, snapping from his denial at the appearance of the rodent. Pikachu stopped sparking and looked at Ash, who said nothing else but gestured back towards the crowd.   
  
"Pikapi?" The little pokemon asked, confused as to why Ash would want to continue the fight.   
  
"Go on," Ash said. Pikachu knew Ash was still hurt, but obeyed him all the same. He had faith in his trainer. He walked back to where Gary stood and sat on his haunches.   
  
The tension could almost be felt emanating from the crowd as they watched Lance reach into a small sheath on his ankle and pull a dagger. Gary made a move to interfere but Ash raised an arm, silently telling him to stay out of it. This was Ash's fight and his alone. The only way to end the fight was to have someone win. If Ash won Lance would hopefully accept the defeat and try to move on. If Lance won, well, it looked like it would be over. Ash wasn't worried about the potential danger. He held his own life at very little value. There was a part of him that wished the bullet had simply finished him off.  
  
Ash took a moment to study Lance. His stance and grip on the two blades appeared comfortable, suggesting he was well trained with the weapons.   
  
He spun his staff once, getting a good grip on it.   
  
"Ah," Lance said, smirking bitterly. "A baton twirler."  
  
"Planning on chopping some vegetables there, Lance?" Ash retorted.  
  
The smirk disappeared from Lance's face and was replaced with a scowl and then the two went at it again.   
  
Ash was able to block Lance's attacks by using his bow to stop his arms in midair. The problem with a wooden bow was that when dealing with blades, depending on the size, one could very well split the bow in half. While Lance's smaller knife didn't seem able to do that, his dagger could possibly, and Ash didn't want to take the chance.   
  
The advantage of the bow as everyone could see was Ash was able to get hits in from a further distance, effectively keeping him out of Lance's range. Unfortunately Ash was not at full speed due to his injury and Lance, using this to his advantage, was able to dodge Ash's defenses and use his knife to slash his arm.  
  
The crowd gasped collectively, but Ash remained focused, for the wound was small and not very deep.  
  
Lance was reveling in his hit and didn't see the spin kick Ash was in until it hit him in the chest, throwing him hard to the ground. He lay dazed for a moment before finally getting up; Ash watched calmly waiting for the other man's next move.   
  
This time when he came at Ash, Lance was fueled by anger and was not using his skills to his full advantage. Ducking his swipes with the blades Ash was able to slam his staff into Lance's left side before spinning and sending a hard backfist into his right.   
  
With an expulsion of air Lance fell again, this time unable to get up.   
  
Ash stood over him for a moment, shaking his head sadly.   
  
"I hate you," Lance managed to get out from his position on the ground.  
  
"I hate myself," Ash said softly before turning and slowly walking away from Lance and the crowd, all of its members gaping after him in horrified wonderment.   
A/N: This is one of my fastest updates in a while. I've been looking forward to writing this fight scene, I've been planning it ever since Lance appeared. I hope it was realistic and not too drawn out. I really know very little about martial arts so I try to not get too specific so someone who does know what they are talking about won't feel the need to yell at me. I also am no doctor. I don't know if Ash would be doing that well after a week and a half. He's a pretty extraordinary person, so let's just chalk it up to his surprisingly good immune system and his stubborn will. I'm hoping I've fleshed out Lance a little more for you, at least now we know why he's being such a jerk. Please review, reviews make me happy. 


	12. cha 12

The rebel's camp lay peacefully in the center of the otherwise deserted Safari Zone. It had grown quiet now. The fires were burnt out and while a few tents remained lit from the interior, there was no movement within the camp. Whatever the earlier commotion had been had kept the camp awake and buzzing late into the night, but things had settled down and a lone man walking between the long row of white tents with a lantern was the only sign that not all the rebels were tucked safely into bed.  
  
"Their army is much larger than we had originally anticipated," a female voice said. She pushed herself from her stomach where she had quietly been observing the rebels.  
  
Her partner also got to his feet, agreeing with a nod.   
  
"No matter," she said contemptuously, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "They don't have any pokemon, they shouldn't be difficult to dispose of."  
  
"Are you sure this is wise, Cass?" her partner asked uncertainly. The wind had picked up slightly and blew their hair and dark coats from their faces. "The pokemon were always loyal to Satoshi, especially the stolen ones."  
  
"I know, Butch, but Giovanni assured me that these pokemon would only obey us." She pat the glistening minimized red and black pokeball on her belt.   
  
"How can you be sure?" he rasped.  
  
"After all that experimenting, little miss Suzie must have had a breakthrough," she said, her red lips breaking into a cruel smile.   
  
Butch also grinned, eager to test the new creations.  
  
"Company, move out!" Cassidy called, raising an arm above her head and quickly pulling it down.   
  
More than a thousand Rockets dressed in black and previously hidden in the dark forest began to follow their leaders towards the rebel base.   
  
~*~*~  
  
"What if Ash and Gary really are spies from Team Rocket sent to kill us all?"  
  
Sydney rolled his eyes and turned over in his sleeping bag so he could face Mikie. Sydney had quickly learned that Mikie was often coming up with conspiracy theories. Sydney would humor him, but thought Mikie was a little old to have such a wild imagination.  
  
Both were eighteen, the youngest a person could be to join the rebellion.   
  
"The gym leaders trust them," he said. "Besides, why would they tell us they were once in Team Rocket if they were on a spy mission?" Sydney flopped back onto his other side, leaving his back to Mikie. He was tired and didn't feel like talking.  
  
"Yes, but Lance doesn't trust him," Mikie pointed out. "And you saw what Ash did to him."  
  
With a sigh Sidney rolled onto his back, contenting himself to stare at the simple white canvas they had begun to call home.   
  
"If I recall, Lance was the one with the sharp pointy knives. Ash was just defending himself," he said.   
  
"Yes but-"   
  
"Shh!" Sydney suddenly hissed.   
  
They could hear footsteps outside of their tent. A figure was silhouetted on the walls of their tent.   
  
It was Gary making the rounds of the camp as he often did. When the footsteps died away Sydney spoke.   
  
"Go to bed, Mikie."  
  
"Okay."  
  
~*~*~  
  
While no one was walking around camp at so late an hour, Gary knew that few people were asleep. Latern light flickered inside the tents and an excited buzzing could be heard.  
  
They were discussing Ash and Lance's fight in terrified whispers. They were frightened to learn that Ash was not only a killer, but was powerful enough to defeat Lance, the man who was training them.  
  
Gary shook his head. Up until the fight Gary had been the most feared member of the rebellion. He supposed being a gun toting ex-Rocket made some people uneasy. Ash now had surpassed him in the area of evoking fear by just being present.   
  
He noticed that the whispers stopped as he passed the tents, then would begin again once the occupants inside assumed he was out of distance. He apparently hadn't lost any of his ability to frighten others, even if Ash was now deemed more scary. He was so deep in thought he nearly tripped over a large can of fuel that was used to power elemental weapons. He sidestepped it quickly. Falling flat on his face, he mused, would not be the best way to keep up his terrifying image.   
  
Gary knew that if anyone should be called a murderer it should be himself. Lance and Ash both had rather skewed perspectives on Ash's actions, yet oddly enough both of their views were nearly identical. Lance thought Ash was a cold blooded murderer, and Ash would most likely be the first to agree with him. Gary though, not Ash, was the one with most of the blood on his hands. Granted it was possible that the house Ash had been ordered to burn had had people in it, but Ash had not been out to kill. Gary was the partner that did most of the killing.   
  
Ash frowned upon Gary's ease with his gun, but Gary, who by no means was bloodthirsty, did not think twice about using it. Perhaps it was because it was the one thing he was good at. Sure, he was an adequate pokemon trainer, but Ash had surpassed him at that. Ash could not compare to him when it came to wielding a firearm. It was his talent. It seemed morbid to call such a thing a talent, but he was perversely proud of said talent, despite the deplorable repercussions.   
  
He hated himself in that respect. He should not be proud of the deaths he caused. The people he had killed had had families. They were once someone's son or daughter.   
  
But he had family too. Family he had been trying to protect. Yet another thing he had failed at.   
  
He wondered if it was even worth it. Did the amount of lives he had destroyed measure up to the lives of his family? His sister and Grandfather were dead, two more victims of his dangerous actions. He may not have pulled the trigger but he as good as handed Giovanni the gun. Two more murders for his list. Two more lives on his conscience.   
  
Gary's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by gunfire and panicked screaming. He turned quickly and was met with the sight of an entire army of Rockets dressed in black and running into the camp. They were all armed and firing rounds of mechanical weapons wildly at the tents where unsuspecting rebels had been sleeping.   
  
~*~*~  
  
She didn't know how long she stood staring at his back. She had followed him after he had left Lance lying on the ground, but once he stopped, she didn't know what she could say to him. Erika was frozen, by fear of him or fear of her feelings, she didn't know. He was standing rigidly on a hill overlooking the Safari Zone, much as he had been earlier that night. This time he was still, unnaturally so.  
  
She finally broke her self imposed vigil and moved towards him, her green kimono rustling softly on her thin frame.   
  
"Aren't you afraid of me? Or at least appalled?" he asked, once again sensing her presence before she chose to announce herself.  
  
"Should I be?" she asked quietly, joining him.   
  
He shrugged, "Everyone else seems to be."  
  
"Ash," she said, reaching her hand to cup his face and make him look at her. "I don't know what you did in your years with Team Rocket. I do know that you must have had a good reason for doing it."  
  
He leaned into her comforting touch.   
  
She continued. "You were protecting your family. If my parents hadn't been killed, I most likely would have done the same thing."  
  
He became tense at this. He reached up and removed her hand from his face. "Erika, there's something I need to tell-"  
  
Loud screams and machine gun fire drew their attention so fast that all other thoughts were completely forgotten.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Sydney felt as though he had just fallen asleep when he was wrenched from his sleep by loud bangs and screaming. He quickly disentangled himself from his sleeping bag and leapt up and it only took him a moment to realize that Mikie had done the same.   
  
"Run!" they heard someone outside their tent scream in panic. "Team Rocket!"  
  
They hesitated for only a moment before tearing out of their tent, running into a stumbling frantic mass of people. The shouting had grown louder as black cloaked Team Rocket members began running through the camp, shooting wildly at anything that moved.   
  
They heard Gary order them to get to the Arms Tent. Of course! With the proper weapons they could fight back. Sydney willed his legs to pump faster. They could stop this massacre if they could only get their firearms.  
  
The Rockets had begun to cease in their chaotic shooting and were now taking careful aim and picking off rebels one by one.   
  
Rebels began falling all around him, but Sydney ignored this, although his heart began to pound faster. If he could get the weapons, this could be stopped. He heard the thud of Mikie hitting the ground before he even realized the other boy wasn't running next to him. Skidding to a stop he doubled back, falling to his knees to inspect him.   
  
Breathing hard, Sydney nearly retched at the sight of Mikie's back, where a large bullet hole from a rifle was quickly leaking blood. Around them other rebels moaned in pain, or were lying still, dead from the bullet wounds.   
  
This was Sydney's first experience with injury. Mikie was as old as he was. Barely eighteen. He couldn't die so young. Mikie groaned. Composing himself, even as more panicked rebels raced around him, he quickly stood, preparing to lift Mikie and carry him to safety.   
  
"Leave him," a gruff voice called. "There's no time!"  
  
He looked to see Gary running towards him, occasionally shooting over his shoulder and knocking a Rocket off his feet.  
  
Sydney hesitated but didn't move. He couldn't leave Mikie.   
  
"Come on!" Gary said, grabbing his arm and pulling. "There's nothing you can do for him."  
  
Sydney struggled to wrench his arm from Gary's grip. "He's still alive! I can't leave him."  
  
"You don't have a choice," Gary said, as bullets began to fall around them since they were two very stationary targets at that moment. He began to pull the struggling Sydney away as fast as he could.   
  
As they ran Gary began to think their race for the Arms Tent was futile. Members of the rebellion were falling left and right. Even if they made it to the tent they probably wouldn't have time to load and attempt any sort of counter-strike before Team Rocket was upon them.  
  
He was still gripping the young rebel's arm, pulling him along and hopefully out of harm's way.  
  
He nearly ran headlong into Ash, who appeared so suddenly in front of him Gary might have though he had teleported if he hadn't known the extent of Ash's speed.  
  
"Ash!" Gary said, skidding to a stop. "Good. Take him," he said, thrusting the boy towards him. "I'll hold them off."  
  
He turned quickly and began shooting as many Rockets as possible.  
  
"Go. Now," he heard Ash's voice say to the kid, then the distinct sounds of one set of footsteps running from the spot.   
  
Ash stepped up next to him, his bow out, his quick eyes scanning the scene.  
  
"No offense, Ash," Gary said as he shot the a Rocket who had been quickly making his way towards them, "But you're not much help here. You're more of a close range fighter."   
  
"You're right," Ash agreed. He quickly sheathed his bow onto his back. "But no matter how good your shot is, you aren't going to be able to hold off all these Rockets." They were getting closer, like a swarm of locusts, destroying everything in their path. Gunfire was raining down upon them, luckily missing its mark.   
  
"I know," Gary said, not stopping his shots. It seemed like for every one Gary shot, two more took his place.  
  
"There!" Ash said suddenly. "That barrel."  
  
There, sitting in the middle of the road, between them and the Rockets sat the metal barrel Gary had nearly tripped over not that much earlier in the evening. The metal barrel full of fuel. Flammable fuel.   
  
Gary aimed and with one shot the barrel exploded into a bright ball of fire and smoke, blocking them from view and reach.   
  
"That should buy us some time," Ash said, turning, and quickly making his way to the arms tent.   
  
Gary grinned. "Enough to at least be able to put up a resistance."  
  
When they made it to the arms tent they found Brock, Bruno, and Misty hastily handing out weapons and ammunition.  
  
They looked up when they heard Ash and Gary enter.   
  
"We've slowed them down," Ash said. "But there's not much time."  
  
"You left him to die!" a young rebel shouted, bursting from the crowd and shoving Gary. "Mikie was still alive and you made me leave him!"  
  
The entire tent had grown silent as they all awaited Gary's response.  
  
"There was nothing you could do," Gary said calmly. "He wouldn't have made it."  
  
"If it was him would you have left him to die?" Sydney asked angrily, pointing a shaking finger at Ash.   
  
Gary was silent.  
  
"He would have if he had to," Ash said, speaking up.  
  
Gary looked at him, an odd mixture of emotion on his face, but made no argument.  
  
"I'm sorry about your friend, but if there was any way to save him, Gary would have."  
  
A loud roar and the sound of rushing water set them alert.   
  
"They must have pokemon with them," Ash said as he quickly took over. "We're going to need the elemental weapons. Bruno, Agatha, we'll need your pokemon as well."  
  
They nodded, pulling out pokeballs.   
  
Ash looked around. "Where are Lorelei and Lance?"  
  
"We haven't seen them since the fight," Agatha said.  
  
"Great," Ash muttered. "Pikachu!"  
  
The small yellow rodent scampered from the crowd and took his rightful place on Ash's shoulder.   
  
Loud crashes drew everyone's attention, but they were still all inside the tent and unable to see the cause of the disturbance.   
  
"Those sound like pretty big pokemon," Brock said.  
  
Ash quickly strode to the entrance of the tent, stopping in his tracks when he could see the pokemon in question. Gary stood next to him and with a sharp intake of breath his eyes widened.  
  
"Oh, Suzie," Ash said softly. "What have you done?"   
  
A/N: Argh! A cliffhanger, I know. Sorry, it takes so long between chapters but I've got tons of things I'm doing. At least with summer, free time is much easier to come by. Hopefully by the next chapter some questions will be answered. Like... what's going on with Ash and Erika? Where the heck are Lorelei and Lance? And what's up with Team Rocket's pokemon? Well I know for a fact the pokemon question will be answered. We'll see about the others. By the way, Mikie and Sydney are names of characters from the show. I think. Mikie was the evee kid and Syndey had the farfetch... I think. Please review, it really does speed up the writing process. 


	13. cha 13

Suzie had become involved in Team Rocket when her breeding center had gone under, leaving her bankrupt. Giovanni had promised the funds and facilities to continue her breeding as long as she in return did certain research for him. 

Her ideals and love for pokemon were soon replaced with a craving for power and scientific prominence. She thrived within the conditions and with the use of the equipment that only someone like Giovanni could provide. She found she had unlimited prospects with the pokemon Giovanni gave her. Despite the pain she caused them, she eagerly began to experiment with them. 

Using her unlimited resources, Suzie soon set her sights upon something higher than breeding. Her early attempts at experiments failed miserably, killing the pokemon involved or leaving them so ill that not putting them out of their misery would have been more inhumane than conducting the experiments. 

After many failed attempts Suzie finally began to make progress, successfully forcing a young nidoran to evolve into a nidoking, completely skipping the evolutional stage of nidorino. She soon found that she could do this with other pokemon, skipping caterpie directly into butterfree and even going so far as to successfully evolve a charizard from nothing more than a charmander. Her successful results perked the interest of Giovanni who provided her with more pokemon to continue her experiments. She was soon able to force any pokemon, even the elusive dratini to evolve directly into their highest form of evolution. 

The flaw in these pokemon wasn't discovered until later, when Rocket members began training them. It seemed that because Suzie had forced the pokemon to evolve prematurely, they gained the great strength of high-evolved pokemon, but lacked the experience that normal pokemon of that level had. Without the experience Suzie found herself with very large, very strong, and very uncontrollable pokemon. The unnaturally evolved pokemon were wild and unruly, refusing to listen to any trainers who attempted to work with them.

The only solution to her problem emerged when an uncontrolled newly evolved charizard went on a rampage through Team Rocket headquarters. The majority of Rockets ran for their lives, since none of them could control the dragon as he burst through walls, shooting flames at those around him. All ran but one. This one, who had been sitting at a table in the cafeteria when the charizard had shattered the wall and came in roaring, sat calmly at the table, looking the charizard in the eye before asking as politely as if he were talking to Giovanni if the pokemon would please calm down as he was trying to eat. Suzie would have laughed out loud at the request had the charizard not regarded the young man for a moment before snorting in concession, stomping over to the man, and plopping down next to him. The agent proceeded to carry on a conversation with the animal, occasionally giving him some of his food. 

It seemed the young man, who Suzie later learned was Satoshi Ketchum, Giovanni's top agent, was the only Team Rocket member whom any of the unnaturally evolved pokemon would listen to, as well as the only agent who didn't cower in fear when asked to train with them. 

Unfortunately Suzie was forced to give up on her evolution attempts, for what was the good of creating the strongest pokemon available if they would only listen to one agent in the entire organization? 

Suzie set her sights higher, working instead on the possibility of cloning and attempting to splice pokemon's genes together in order to create hybrid pokemon. She once managed to create a monstrous cross between a blastoise and a charizard, but the deformed creature died not long after she had completed it. 

Until now Ash, while never bothering to mask his contempt for Suzie and her experiments, had not viewed Suzie's creations as any sort of threat. The one set would only listen to him and the other set she couldn't keep alive long enough to do any damage. 

But now, as he stood looking at what appeared to be a humongous cross between the extremely rare pokemon aerodactyl and the water pokemon gyrados, he realized that Suzie's experiments must have become more concrete, enough so that Giovanni trusted them in the hands of his agents as they came to storm the rebel camp. 

The gyrados' head on the aerodactyl's body flew above them, roaring angrily, using hydro pump to finish putting out the fire started by the explosion of the fuel. 

He had to hand it to Suzie. She had made quite an intelligent selection on which two pokemon to combine. An aerodactyl which not only gave the pokemon flying ability, but the added bonus of being a rock type, combined with a gyrados which gave the pokemon water affinity created a pokemon, which, while most likely in considerable pain due to the two mismatched types, would be immune to any type advantage if careful. One half would absorb the others weakness, the gyrados taking water damage for the aerodactyl and the aerodactyl taking lightening for the water based pokemon. 

Unfortunately for the rebels this created an almost undefeatable pokemon as any of their elemental weapons or pokemon wouldn't do a great amount of damage because of the basically non-existent type disadvantage. 

The creature let out a roar of pain, it's angry yellow eyes fixing upon Ash and Gary, who were looking up at it in wonder.

Gary cleared his throat. "Well... pokemon is your department Ash. So have Pikachu give it a go so we can deal with the rest of the Rockets." 

Both Ash and Pikachu stared flatly at Gary. 

Gary sighed. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Well, what do you suggest?" 

"Run very far away?" Ash muttered. 

"What is _that_?" they heard from behind them. 

Bruno, Agatha, Brock and Misty had come out of the tent. 

"_That_ is our impending death." 

"Gary!" Ash exclaimed. 

"What?" Gary asked innocently. 

Ash glared at him before turning his attention back to the creature, which was now hovering above Cassidy, who appeared to be its trainer. 

"Satoshi!" the blonde called, a gleeful tone to her voice. "How do you like my new pet?" 

Ash watched as the pokemon flapped its wings hard, causing everyone's hair and clothing to be blown back with a large gust of wind. It let out another loud roar, and they could feel it rumble through the ground. 

"It's cute, Cassidy," Ash said. 

"Cute?" Cassidy repeated. "I'll show you how cute he is. Gyrodactyl, supersonic now!" 

"That's not good," Ash said as the pokemon began to flap its wings harder and fly towards them. 

"It has a _name_?" Gary asked incredulously. 

The gyrodactyl flew at them, his sharp gyrados teeth bared while he pumped his areodactyl wings furiously. It only took Ash a second to realize the creature wasn't flying directly at them, but at the arms tent. 

"Everyone get down!" he cried, falling to his stomach and covering Pikachu with his arms. 

The gyrodactyl flew over them and grabbed at the white canvas of the tent, pulling it from the ground and into the air. Many of the rebels that had been inside screamed at the abnormal sight of the pokemon. 

The Rocket's, now having full view of the rebels, began shooting once again. Chaos ensued as bullets began flying from both sides and the gyrodactyl began swooping in and out of the battle, namely at Ash, who apparently was his main target. 

The gyrodactyl dove at him, and Ash rolled out of the way as it's sharp claws reached for him. 

"Pikachu! Thunder bolt! Aim for his eyes," Ash called. 

Pikachu complied, but both the trainer and the pokemon were shocked to see the gyrodactyl perceive the attack and flip around so that the attack bounced harmlessly off of its rock wing. 

"Great," Ash muttered. "You're big, strong, _and_ smart." He noticed that both Bruno and Agatha's pokemon were busy with the normal pokemon Team Rocket had brought with them. That meant that it was Pikachu alone who could fight the psychodactyl. Great. 

The gyrodactyl regained its momentum and once again went straight for Ash. Ash took off running, leading the pokemon away from the fight, all the while dogging hyper beams, takedowns, and wayward bullets. He called attacks to Pikachu which the gyrodactyl would ignore as they simply bounced off his stony body. 

The gyrodactyl finally caught up to Ash, wrapping his claws around his shoulders and starting to pick him up. 

"Not again!" Ash exclaimed, having had a similar experience with an aerodactyl when he was younger and not caring to repeat it. 

All his struggling accomplished was forcing the gyrodactyl's claws deeper into his flesh, cutting painful gashes into his shoulder. 

"Water gun!" he heard someone call out after he had risen about ten feet. 

The gyrodactyl, not having seen the attack coming, was hit squarely in the back. He roared in pain and dropped Ash, who hit the ground painfully and rolled a few feet. The gyrodactyl dropped to the ground, momentarily unable to fly. 

"You okay?" he heard Lorelei ask. The woman poked her head into his line of vision from above him, looking down at him, and he blinked as the head of her lapras appeared over him. 

"Been better," he groaned from his position on the ground. "Where have you been?" 

"I was trying to convince my husband not to leave." 

"And how did that go?" Ash said, with the air of making small talk, despite his position on the ground and the painful gashes in his shoulders. 

"Not to well." 

"Lorelei!" Gary called from where the main battle was raging. "We could really use some ice and water elements on our side!" 

"Gotcha!" she called back. She looked to see the gyrodactyl back in the air and getting ready to charge. "So you have this under control?" she asked Ash. 

Ash tilted his head to see the extremely large pokemon flying at him. "Oh, yeah," he said, sarcastically, groaning as he sat up. 

"Okay!" Lorelei said, running off to the battle. 

"Wait! I could use-" he called at her retreating back. "A water pokemon," he concluded to himself. 

A roar warned him of the gyrodactyl's approach and he rolled out of the way and to his feet. The attacking pokemon flew by him. 

"Okay, Pikachu," Ash said to the yellow pokemon at his feet. "Time to think strategy." 

~*~*~ 

Gary hadn't even noticed it had started raining until he heard a clap of thunder rumble through the sky. Soon rain was falling in buckets, drenching everyone and making the rock and fire pokemon panic. 

Fighting had digressed from pokemon and gunfire to fist fighting as the pokemon were all fainting, and more and more members of both sides ran out of ammo. 

Gary was tackled from behind and landed on the ground, which had quickly been turned to mud in the rain. A few punches and a blow to the head with the handle of a gun later Gary was standing, thoroughly disgusted by all the mud he was now covered in. Blinking the water from his eyes he took a quick mental note on the situations of the others. 

Bruno was knocking down Rocket members two at a time with his massive fists, while his pokemon continued to KO Rocket pokemon. 

Agatha was maintaining a safe distance from the actual battle, directing her pokemon from afar. 

Lorelei's pokemon were thriving in the rain, and Lorelei herself was taking out quite a few Rockets with well-placed elbows and knees. 

Misty and Erika were working together, surprising Rocket's with their hard hits, while Brock was fairing well fighting hand to hand. 

A bright flash of lightening and a loud roar drew the attention of everyone who could afford to look away to Ash and the gyrodactyl. The gyrodactyl was obviously in great pain from the rain on it's rock body, but it was still coming at Ash, despite that and the thunder bolt Pikachu had just connected to it's head. 

"Pikachu power up. Use the storm to your advantage. On more thunder should knock it out!" Ash called. 

Pikachu nodded and powered up, drawing the extra electrical energy from the storm. Before he could release the attack though a large dragon figure swooped down in between him and the gyrodactyl. 

"Dragonite!" those in the main battle who were listening heard a voice call. "Thunder!" 

Pikachu, unseen by those watching simply leaped around the dragonite and released his attack. The extra charge from the electricity in the air made the attack extremely powerful, and by the time it was done the gyrodactyl was unconscious, the dragonite not even having had the chance to power up. 

Pikachu wearily made his way back to Ash, exhausted from the attack. "Great job, Pikachu," Ash said, gently petting the pokemon's wet matted fur. "You stay here and rest." 

He stood and pulled his bow from its holster and began to make his way to the battle. He found Lance and his dragonite blocking the way. "Are you going to just stand there or are you going to help?" Ash asked coldly. 

Lance regarded him with a contemptuous glare, before unsheathing his daggers. "I'm coming." 

"Good," Ash said, running towards the fray. 

~*~*~ 

"Uh, Cass?" Butch said, punching a rebel to the ground and wiping the rain from his face. 

"What?" she said irritably, pushing her soaked hair out of her eyes after finishing off her attacker with a roundhouse kick. 

"Satoshi is coming to join the battle." 

"What?" She looked up to see the dark haired ex agent running towards the battle, staff out. She gritted her teeth when she saw her gyrodactyl lying on the ground unconscious. 

"Cassidy?" Butch said. 

"_What?_" she snapped. 

"Lance and his dragonite are also coming to join the battle," Butch informed her, ducking a punch from another rebel and countering with an uppercut to the face. 

Cassidy ground her teeth in anger as she watched Ash come and start making quick work of her troops. He was followed by Lance who was viciously attacking Rockets with his blades, not even waiting for their bodies to hit the ground before moving to the next one. "This may be a good time to retreat," Cassidy said, elbowing a rebel in the face as he came from behind her. 

Butch nodded. "I'll tell the troops to fall back." 

"No," Cassidy said. "Let them fight. It will be a good distraction for us to get away." 

"But Cass," Butch said, watching as blood flew from the throat of a Rocket Lance had just slashed. "They'll all be slaughtered." 

"It's their duty to give their lives for their commanding officers. Now come on!" 

With one last glance at the battle, which was quickly turning in favor of the rebels, Butch followed Cassidy behind the tents and out of sight. The only thing that signaled their departure was the red light that was the recalling of the gyrodactyl, which went unnoticed by all. 

The battle raged on until the Rockets realized their commanding officers were gone. They too began to retreat, fearing for their lives as Lance continued viciously murdering Rockets and their pokemon were being defeated. 

Soon the rebels had stopped fighting and were watching as Lance, who seemed possessed, continued to kill any Rocket in his sight, even those attempting to run away. Blood mixed with the mud and rain, coloring the ground a deep red. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Lance asked, cornering a young Rocket, his bloody blade held tightly in his fist. The boy, no older than seventeen, scrambled backward, tripping and landing in the mud. 

"Always running away, you Rockets," Lance said, advancing on the boy with a maniacal gleam in his eyes. "You all think you're invincible until you are faced with death. Then you run, like the cowards you are." 

It had grown quiet, save for the few remaining rockets that were still attacking Ash and Gary. Those who were listening could hear the boy's feeble pleas for his life. 

"You aren't running anywhere and you won't be doing any more harm," Lance said, ignoring him. He raised the knife and slashed downward. 

"No!" the boy cried. 

But the young Rocket's voice was not the only one heard. 

Ash suddenly appeared between Lance and the boy, blocking the dagger with his staff, although sustaining a deep cut on his arm first. "Get out of the way, Satoshi!" Lance screamed, trying in vain to continue his blow, which was being blocked by the bow. 

"No!" Ash said, struggling to keep the bow steady with Lance putting pressure on it. "There's been enough blood shed." 

"He's a Rocket, he should die," Lance spat. "And if you don't get out of my way I will kill you too. Just give me a reason, Satoshi, it's been a dream of mine for some time." 

"Don't you see, Lance?" Ash said, his arms starting to shake as they strained against Lance's weight, his injured arm bleeding freely, adding to the crimson stain already on the ground. He held his place, despite the rain making it difficult to keep traction on the ground. "You're no better than the Rocket's if you allow them to force you to loose control. What will killing this boy do? You'll be no better than Cassidy, than Giovanni-" He paused, hesitating before continuing. "You'll be no different than me!" he said shakily. 

There was a long silence where both men held their positions, rain running down their faces, and blood running from Ash's arms and earlier shoulder wounds. 

"Too many have died today," Ash said, using his head to gesture to the ground, where the dead bodies of Rockets and Rebels lay, shot or stabbed. Either way they were dead, lying in their own blood. 

Lance finally broke the position and pulled his knife away hastily. He turned and sheathed his knife, walking away. Ash too put his weapon away and began walking in the opposite direction. 

The similarities were striking. Two powerful, raven haired men, each having seen their share of death, each having lost family, and each covered in blood, walking away from the teenaged Rocket, who was sitting in a terrified silence. 

The difference between the two was that while Ash was covered in his own blood, Lance was covered in the blood of those he'd murdered. 

Ash began walking through the elites' pokemon and the rebels that were still standing, who silently parted for him. As he walked by Misty, Erika, and Brock he said, "Check for survivors. Tend to their wounds and place guards on the surviving Rockets." They nodded and he continued on wearily, listening to the whispers of the rebels. 

"Did you see Lance?" 

"Like he was crazy-" 

"But he was only killing Rockets-" 

"Just a kid-" 

"Powerful-" 

"Dragonite took out the monster-" 

Ash didn't bother to correct them about the fight with the gyrodactyl as he made his way over to where Pikachu was resting from his battle. He gently picked up the pokemon and held him in his arms, ignoring the pain of the one that was still bleeding. 

"So how'd you do it?" a voice asked. 

"Do what?" Ash said, looking over at Gary. 

"Manage to take out the gyrodactyl?" 

"How do you know it wasn't Dragonite?" Ash asked wryly. 

"Only one pokemon I know can pack that much electrical punch," Gary said, rubbing Pikachu affectionately between the ears. "Lucky that storm came up, huh? It really weakened the crazed pokemon." 

Ash smiled. Gary knew that smile. It was the smile Ash used when Gary didn't know the whole story, but Ash had no intention of explaining. 

"Wait. That storm was no accident, was it?" he asked. 

Ash raised and eyebrow before shrugging. "It's one of Pikachu's specialized attacks. Hurricane. It calls up a storm to give him extra electrical power. In this case it also helped because the gyrodactyl's body was weak against water." 

Gary smiled and shook his head. "Come on," he said to Ash, commenting no further on his amazing pokemon. "You need to get patched up." 

  
A/N: Okay so yes this took... well forever, but look! Look how long it is! I haven't had a chapter this long in a while. Sorry about the wait. I've moved in to college and have settled into a routine for the most part, so maybe now I can start updating more regularly. Let's hope. For anyone who read the thing about Pikachu's attack and thought, that sounds mighty familiar, is she plagiarizing? It's an attack I made up in my other story. So... I'm plagiarizing myself. I figure it's my attack I can do with it as I please. Please review, as it will help get me motivated. Thanks! 


	14. cha 14

"How do they keep finding us?" Gary asked, looking around the tent at Ash and the rebel leaders.   
  
After the attack it had taken all night and most of the next day to tend to the wounded, bury the dead, and re-erect the tents. It was becoming dark and the tent they occupied was lit by a lantern situated in the middle of the circle the rebels had formed. Misty, Brock, Erika, and the elite four, minus Lance, who was sulking in the corner farthest from Ash, were all seated. Gary was standing near the circle.   
  
"Everywhere we go they turn up," he said. "Butch and Cassidy are not that good of trackers."  
  
"They can't be too bad," Misty said. "If they keep finding us."  
  
"No," Ash spoke up from the corner opposite Lance, his face obscured by shadows. The black t-shirt he wore made it quite apparent that the once white bandages on his arm were stained with blood. "They aren't that good." He met Gary's gray eyes with his own.   
  
"They could have found us in the woods," Gary began, understanding what Ash meant. "But there is no way they could have tracked us to Seafoam."   
  
"So how did they find us?" Bruno's deep voice piped up.  
  
"Butch and Cassidy aren't the ones trailing us," Ash explained. "It's Jessie and James."  
  
"Jessie and James?" Misty said incredulously. "Those imbeciles?"  
  
"They have certain talents," Gary said. "Tracking is their major one."  
  
Brock nodded. "Remember when we were kids? They could find us no matter where we went."  
  
"So much for being able to trust them," Ash muttered.  
  
"What can we do then?" Agatha asked.  
  
"Absolutely nothing," Ash replied. "It's nearly impossible to find them if they don't want to be found."  
  
"We're talking about Jessie and James here?" Misty said. "The bumbling idiots of our childhood?"  
  
"People change over time Mist," Ash said softly.  
  
There was silence until Gary spoke up. "It's not safe to sit around here anymore. Giovanni knows where we are and he knows what we're doing. He'll attack again."  
  
"Then," Erika said hesitantly. "Perhaps we should attack him?"  
  
Everyone looked at her in surprise.  
  
"Can we do that?" Agatha asked.  
  
"Are the troops even ready?" Lorelei added.  
  
"What about man power?" Brock said. "We lost quite a few people in the attack."  
  
"The real question," Ash said, causing all conversation to stop. "Is if we can afford to wait. If Giovanni attacks again he'll use more forces, more pokemon, and more of those hybrids. We won't stand a chance."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Misty leaned over a table in the mess tent, sipping from a mug of coffee as her pen scratched softly over paper. The tent had been empty for hours, all the rebels having eaten earlier, and the makeshift kitchen they had set up was now closed. Tucking a few loose strands of red hair behind her ear she reached over her head, stretching. She sighed, arching her back in an attempt to crack it then cracking her neck with a twist of her head.   
  
"That's really a disgusting habit," an amused voice said from behind, startling her.   
  
She turned to see Gary watching her with a grimace on his face. "Yes," she agreed. "But it feels great."  
  
Gary shrugged, grabbing a mug and filling it with coffee from the large coffee pot on a table near the edge of the tent. He joined her at her table, plopping tiredly into the chair across from her. "You guys sure are prepared," he said, raising his mug to her before taking a sip.  
  
"Well we've been planning this for years. Had to have the necessities," she told him.  
  
He smiled one of his rare smiles at her. "What are you doing?" he asked, gesturing to the papers in front of her.   
  
Misty looked at him sadly. "Figuring out the casualties. We need to contact their families."  
  
He nodded, taking another sip of coffee. Misty noted that while the ghost of his smile had disappeared there was no other sign of a change in his countenance. He didn't even appear fazed. "Doesn't it upset you at all?" she bit out.  
  
Gary's head snapped up and he regarded her with surprise. He hesitated, considering his words. "I'm good-" he paused. "I guess I'm good at hiding emotions."  
  
Misty watched him as he continued. "In Team Rocket, doing what we did-you couldn't cry over everyone you saw die. The first one that I killed-I threw up. And cried. Every death eats at you, at your emotions, until it's hard to feel anything anymore. You're just-empty." Gary was looking at the floor, his hair falling into his eyes.  
  
Misty felt her heart clench as she watched him. "Gary..." Reaching across the table she rested her hand on top of his. He didn't look up.   
  
Standing and walking around to his side of the table, Misty kneeled in front of him, her hands on his in his lap. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she said softly.   
  
"No," Gary said. "It's ok." He looked into her eyes and she was surprised at how sad and lonely he looked. He'd let down his guard to her, and she wanted to make the lost look in his eyes go away.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Lance watched as Erika exited the tent she and Misty shared, walking to the perimeter of the tents and beginning a slow pace around them, taking advantage of the night air. Keeping an eye on her path, he slid between two tents and emerged on the other side, about ten feet behind her.   
  
"Erika," he called softly.   
  
She turned and regarded him silently before bowing in greeting. "Lance."  
  
"Mind if I walk with you?"  
  
"If you want," she said briskly, turning and continuing. Lance followed.  
  
They walked in silence for a while. Erika's dark hair was blown about, whipping around her red headband as the wind picked up. Lance finally spoke. "You and Satoshi. Something going on there?"  
  
She gave him a sharp look. "I don't believe that's any of your business."  
  
"You're right," he said, a grin apparent on his face. "I shouldn't have asked." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "It just surprises me after-" he stopped speaking.   
  
"After what?"  
  
Raising his eyebrows, he hesitated. "Well," he said, his voice dripping with fake concern. "Nothing."  
  
"Lance." Erika was loosing her patience.   
  
"You were pretty close with your parents, weren't you?"   
  
She stopped short. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It's a shame they died so young. They could have had so much more time," Lance continued.  
  
Erika's fists clenched in anger.   
  
Lance stepped closer to her, leaning down until his mouth was next to her ear. He spoke, his breath tickling her ear. "My parents are not the only blood Satoshi has on his hands. You should ask him how your parents were killed."  
  
With a gasp she backed away and broke into a run in the opposite direction, leaving Lance smiling in her wake.   
  
~*~*~  
  
Erika ran into the mess tent, looking around frantically. "Ash?" she called.  
  
A muffled gasp and a loud bang followed by swearing caused her to look at a table in the far corner of the room. On the floor next to it she saw Misty, flushed, with her hair coming out of its braid sitting next to Gary, who was holding the top of his head with his hand.  
  
Mumbling a quick sorry, Erika ran out of the tent, too upset to concern herself with what she had seen. When she exited the tent she ran directly into Ash.   
  
"Erika?" he said. Upon seeing her face he asked, "What's wrong?"  
  
"What do you know about my parents death?" she asked sharply.   
  
Ash's concerned look became surprise. Two rebels walked by glancing at them. "Not here," he said quietly, taking her arm and leading her to the tent he and Gary shared. They ducked in and he turned to face her.   
  
She watched his face carefully, but he didn't betray anything he was thinking or feeling.  
  
"Erika, your parents were two of the founders of the rebellion."  
  
"I know that," she snapped. "How do you think I became involved?"   
  
Ash nodded and continued. "When I met you we were stationed in Cerulean with orders," he looked at the ground. "To kill them."  
  
There was a long silence as Erika blinked back tears. Finally, after swallowing the lump in her throat, she choked out, "And did you?"  
  
He didn't meet her gaze. "I didn't. But I was there when it happened."  
  
"And you did nothing to stop it?" Erika exploded. "Looking on as someone is murdered does not make you any less guilty of their deaths!"   
  
Ash didn't reply.   
  
"Who did it?" she asked. "Was it Gary? Did that son of a bitch shoot my parents in cold blood while you stood and watched?"  
  
"Yes," Ash said softly.  
  
"My God!" Erika felt nauseous. "You comforted me! Told me it would be all right. I was seeking comfort from their murderer!"  
  
"Erika-"  
  
"You used me!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You used me to get close to them."   
  
"No, that's not-"  
  
"I'm going to be sick." Erika pushed past Ash, running out of his tent. She made it to the side before she threw up, falling to her hands and knees, heaving. She couldn't see through her tears and her hair, which had fallen from her headband and into her eyes.  
  
Ash came up behind her and kneeled, placing his hand on her back.  
  
She finished, panting and wiping tears from her eyes. "Don't touch me," she spat, pulling roughly away from his hand. Wiping her mouth she stood. "Where's Gary?" Then she remembered and took off in a run for the mess tent.  
  
"Erika!" Ash called, standing and following after her.  
  
~*~*~  
  
After Erika had burst in and caught them doing-well Misty was quite sure what they had been doing. It had progressed past kissing, but she wasn't sure wear it had been headed. Misty had no idea what had possessed her to kiss Gary. He looked so alone; she wanted to show him she was there. Besides, they had kissed once before and Misty couldn't remember any reason why she wouldn't want to do it again. Now they were sitting in a comfortable silence, his head in her lap as she raked her fingers gently through his auburn hair, avoiding the small bump he had gotten from smashing his head on the table when they had been interrupted earlier. She looked down at his closed eyes and relaxed expression and wondered vaguely how they had gotten to this level of comfort so incredibly quickly and why it didn't feel wrong at all.  
  
Erika suddenly came flying into the tent again. "Gary!"   
  
Misty jumped and Gary's eyes snapped open as he bolted to a sitting position, narrowly missing cracking his head on the table again.   
  
"How could you have done that?" Erika cried.  
  
Gary looked from her to Misty in confusion. He didn't understand. Was Erika upset he and Misty kissed?  
  
"My parents, Gary," Erika said, her voice cracking.   
  
Gary's heart stopped. He watched her begin to cry.  
  
"Erika!" Ash burst in, stopping when he saw Misty and Gary.  
  
"You murderer!" Erika screamed, pointing at Gary, whose eyes were wide in horror. "You killed them! You killed them!"  
  
Ash grabbed her by the waist and drug her struggling form out of the tent as she continued to scream you killed them over and over.   
  
Gary buried his head in his hands the moment she was out of view. Misty just stared where Erika had been, her mouth hanging open.  
  
Gary had killed many people, but never before had he seen a loved ones reaction. He considered himself one, but never before had been called a murderer. The pain on Erika's face would haunt him forever.   
  
Misty shook herself from her shock and looked to see Gary with his face hidden in his hands, his shoulders shaking in what was undeniably silent sobs.   
  
"Gary," she whispered. He didn't acknowledge her. Dragging herself to her knees she crawled to him, placing her arms around him and embracing him from behind.   
  
~*~*~  
  
Erika flailed in Ash's arms, struggling to get him to let her go. Her heel collided with his shin as she kicked her legs and he nearly dropped her.  
  
"Put me down!" she screamed. "Put me down!" She was hysterical.  
  
Ash set her down and turned her to face him. "Erika!" he said, his hands gripping her shoulders. People were poking their heads out of tents, looking for the source of the screaming. "Erika, you need to calm down," Ash said.  
  
"Calm down? Do you have any idea what it's like to find out that the man you loved was using you so he could kill your parents?"   
  
"Erika, that's not what happened..." he trailed off when he saw the flap to the mess tent open, Gary coming out looking sick, and Misty following behind him looking concerned.   
  
Erika glared between Ash and Gary. "You two," she said in a low voice. "Are nothing but lying murderers. You have no place here."  
  
"Erika!" Misty said, shocked.  
  
Ash looked stricken and Gary turned away, unable to face her. Of all the rebel leaders, Erika had been the only one who had never looked down on them for their involvement in Team Rocket.   
  
Erika focused her glare on Ash. "You are worse than Gary because you made me believe you loved me." Before he could respond she looked away. "Get out of my sight."  
  
She may as well have slapped him. Ash stared at her for a few moments, but she never looked at him. He began walking in the direction of his tent, head lowered.   
  
Gary and Misty exchanged glances before he headed after Ash and she went to speak with Erika.  
  
"Erika," she said in a low voice so the small crowds of rebels near the other tents could not hear. "I understand you're in pain, but we cannot afford to have them as enemies, we'll stand no chance. You can't tell them to leave."  
  
"You want to keep them here knowing this?" Erika said through gritted teeth.   
  
"You knew before this that they had killed people."  
  
"They murdered two leaders of the rebellion!" Erika hissed. "How can you possibly think of trusting them?"  
  
"Erika, they've shown us no reason to question their motives. They've been helping us the whole way. To dismiss them now would be devastating to our cause. We've worked so hard to get to this point, your parents gave their lives for this."  
  
"Gave their lives to them!"  
  
Misty opened her mouth to respond, but a load roar cut her off. Looking up, the two women watched as the hybrid pokemon from the night before swooped over the camp. Rebels that had been watching the leaders fight scattered in all directions.  
  
When Gary and Ash saw the gyrodactyl, they turned and began to run back to where Misty and Erika were. Ash paused a moment to call to Pikachu, who sprinted from Ash's tent and leapt to his shoulder.   
  
Gary was ahead of him so Ash saw the gyrodactyl dive at him. The pokemon grabbed Gary by the shoulders.   
  
"Gary!" Ash and Misty said in unison.   
  
The gyrodactyl took the struggling man and flew high into the sky, keeping itself a safe distance from any elemental attacks. Everyone watched as it became smaller and smaller until its form faded from view.  
  
A/N: So, no, I haven't died, and no, I haven't given up on this story. I believe I finally worked through my writers block and maybe, just maybe I'll be able to keep going without such long breaks in between chapters. I actually have finally figured out exactly where this story is heading, so now, with an ending in mind, I plan to diligently work on this. Looks like one of the pairings has finally been shown, sorry all you AAML people out there. I wanted to be different.   
  
Please review, I miss reviews. 


	15. cha 15

"Ash, where are you going?" Brock asked, watching as Ash haphazardly shoved supplies into his knapsack.   
  
"To find Gary."  
  
"Ash," Brock said. "He may-"  
  
"I know he could be dead already," Ash said, cutting him off. He zipped his bag. "I have to go. If there's even a chance he's alive I can't sit here doing nothing."  
  
"Where will you even look?"  
  
"The gyrodactyl headed towards Cerulean," Ash responded.  
  
"Oh that's smart," Brock said. "You're going to go straight to Giovanni. Ash, that's a really stupid idea."  
  
"Look, Brock, I know you hate Gary. I'm sure his current situation doesn't really upset you." Ash shrugged his pack on. "But I refuse to sit here when he needs my help."  
  
"I don't hate Gary," Brock said. Ash shot him a disbelieving look. "No, I really don't. The more I get to know him the more I realize that he's a good guy. I should have known it from the start, if you're friends with him he would have to be."  
  
"You talk like I'm an angel, when you know that's not true."  
  
"No matter what you've done, you're still the same Ash," Brock told him. "Always putting others before yourself, going out of your way to save your friends, risking your life. Gary tried to tell me that and I refused to listen, but I've seen it for myself. You saved a boy from death when Lance was out of control. You went to find Bruno when you knew he was in danger. You've been helping us all the way, despite how horrible we treated you. You're still the same old Ash."  
  
"Brock, the same old Ash would not have the blood of innocent people on his hands. Would you really feel the same way if you were in Erika's place?" Ash asked.   
  
Brock looked at the floor.  
  
"Ash!" a voice called from outside the tent. Misty's head popped in, a worried look on her face. "You need to come out here."  
  
He nodded, following her. Outside, the silhouettes of rebels stood scattered about camp, whispering to one another. Standing a few feet from his tent were two shadowed figures. Light from the lanterns held by a few people illuminated a pair of blue and a pair of green eyes.  
  
"What the hell are you two doing here?" Ash asked, recognizing them immediately.   
  
"We have a message from Giovanni," Jessie said, stepping from the shadows into the dim light. Her long red hair was pulled into a high ponytail and she was dressed in a black Team Rocket pants uniform: her standard tracking outfit. It was much easier to move when she didn't have to worry about James looking up her skirt.   
  
James stepped forward and joined her. "He wants you to know that Gary is in Cerulean."  
  
"I figured as much," Ash replied. "You can tell him I'm on my way."  
  
"Ash!" Misty said.   
  
"Twerp," Jessie said, concern in her voice. "He wants you both dead."  
  
"Of course he does," Ash replied.   
  
"He's not going to let Shigeru go if you give yourself to him," she said.  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then why would you go?" James asked.  
  
"Because Gary would go for me," Ash said simply. "I will not leave him alone." His tone left no room for argument.   
  
No one spoke for a moment.   
  
"Then here," James said, walking to Ash. "You'll probably need this."  
  
Taking the object from James he looked at it. "Who's side are you on anyway?" he asked, his eyes scanning over James' ID card.   
  
"Twerp, you're the hero and Giovanni is the villain," Jessie said. "We want you to win of course-but he holds our lives in his hands. We do what he orders because we have to. We help you out because we want to."  
  
With a short wave from Jessie and a nod from James, they slipped into the shadows and disappeared. Ash watched them go before turning and heading towards the entrance of the Safari Zone.   
  
"I'm going with you," Misty said, hurrying to his side.  
  
"No," he said flatly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"This has nothing to do with you, Mist," Ash said.   
  
"Giovanni is my enemy and you and Gary are my friends. This has everything to do with me."  
  
"Misty, he wants me and Gary dead. This is a trap to bring me to him. I can't let you get involved in this. The rebellion needs you. Stay here." Ash continued walking and Misty didn't attempt to follow.   
  
"Be careful," she called.  
  
Pikachu leapt to his shoulder and Ash stopped walking. "Pikachu, I want you to stay here," Ash said softly. The pokemon looked like he was going to protest. "I'll be fine," Ash told him. "If Giovanni attacks again you'll have to defend the camp."   
  
Pikachu looked torn, but then puffing out his little chest with pride, the yellow pokemon jumped down from his shoulder and ran to sit at Misty's feet.   
  
"I'll be back in no more than a week," Ash said. "If not, don't worry about us and go on as planned."  
  
As he walked out of camp he noticed a familiar silhouette. He stopped. "Erika," he said, not looking towards her. "I'm sorry."  
  
She didn't respond and he continued on.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The air was violently forced out of Gary's lungs as Butch's fist connected with his stomach. His wrists had been chained and hoisted above his head, so when Gary's knees gave out he hung limply from the ceiling. He had been Butch's human punching bag for at least an hour and he had numerous bruises and cuts all over his body.   
  
"Not so cocky now, are we Shigeru?" Butch sneered. Gary didn't answer, his head hanging because he didn't have the strength to look up. Butch threw a hard right into Gary's jaw. Gary coughed, spitting blood onto the concrete floor.   
  
In his time with Team Rocket Gary had often wondered what the basement of headquarters was used for. Now Gary knew that there was a hallway lined with barred cells, one of which he was currently occupying. It was dark-there were no windows and light was provided by a few dim bulbs that would flicker on and off at random intervals. He was the only one down there as far as he knew, so no one was listening as Butch continued his physical and verbal assault.   
  
"What's wrong Shigeru? All out of your witty comments?"  
  
"It's just not worth it, Butch," Gary rasped, spitting out more blood. "You're too stupid to understand when you've been insulted."  
  
There was a pause where Butch allowed the words sink in, and then with unsuppressed rage he kicked Gary in the ribs, smiling at the satisfying crack and groan of pain. The kick rocked Gary's whole body and he swung slightly from the chains. His wrists had begun to bleed from the metal constantly rubbing his skin and he hung limply, his sweaty hair falling into his eyes. Gary breathed heavily, feeling a shooting pain in his lower chest from what he could only assume was a broken rib.  
  
Butch stood before him and roughly grabbed his hair, forcing Gary to look up at him. "You're so weak," Butch spat. "You're nothing without Satoshi here to protect you. You're no threat at all."  
  
"Then why," Gary panted. "Go through all the trouble to kidnap me?"  
  
"Live bait," Butch said with a vicious grin. "Satoshi won't leave you here. And when he comes for you, we'll be waiting. Once he's dead, I'll come finish you off."  
  
Gary's gray eyes widened.   
  
Butch's fist tightened painfully in Gary's hair. "You're nothing but the worm." With that he sharply brought his knee to Gary's stomach and dropped his head, leaving him hanging in the middle of the cell, gasping for air.   
  
~*~*~  
  
Sneaking back into Cerulean had not been as difficult as sneaking out of it had been. Ash chose to stick to the roofs, where security cameras couldn't see him, using his bow to pole vault between buildings that were too far apart to simply jump.   
  
Ash landed on the roof of Rocket Headquarters, sliding along the concrete before his boots gained traction. Placing his bow back into its holster he stood for a few minutes deciding where to go from there. He was fairly certain Gary would be in the basement; he had seen the cells once before when he was fifteen. Giovanni had left him there for a few weeks to "help him decide" whether or not to join Team Rocket. He had never told Gary, who thought Ash had been in training for those three weeks.   
  
Ash knew Giovanni was waiting for him and just walking down to the basement was not an option. Leaning over the side of the roof Ash judged the distance to the ledge beneath him as well as he could in the dark. With a shrug he swung a leg over, then the other, and hung from the roof before letting go and landing on the narrow ledge below. Ash stood still for a moment, regaining his balance as the wind whipped through his black hair. He needed to go down one more floor, where he was hoping he could get in a window. Realizing this might not have been the most thought out plan he sighed, crouching, then carefully slid himself down to the ledge under him. Inching slowly towards the window at his right, he silently hoped no one was working late in the labs. Poking his head in front of the window, he was relieved to see an empty lab. Only a few computers glowed, monitoring the sleeping pokemon that were caged around the room.   
  
Giving the window an experimental tug, he was pleased when it opened without resistance. He climbed in and turned to close the window. The click of a safety alerted him that the lab was not as empty as he had thought.   
  
"You came quickly Satoshi," a soft female voice said.  
  
Turning, he saw a young blue haired woman, a white lab coat over her clothes, aiming a gun at him and standing far enough away from him that he couldn't take her by surprise before she could shoot him. She knew better than to underestimate him.   
  
"Late night tonight, Suzie?" he asked, watching her carefully.   
  
"I wanted to monitor a few new hybrids," she said, keeping her eyes and gun trained on him as she inched towards her desk. "I hear you already met gyrodactyl. What did you think?"  
  
The sleeping pokemon around the lab began to wake at the sound of their voices.  
  
"Ingenious," he said. "Immoral and disgusting, but ingenious."  
  
Suzie laughed. "You always did have a problem with my experiments. Maybe that's why the pokemon all liked you so much, they could tell you hated me." She reached her desk and picked up the phone, never taking her eyes off him. Punching a number, she spoke. "He's here." Hanging up she said, "Where's your pikachu?"  
  
"Didn't bring him with me."  
  
"Rather confident, huh? Didn't even feel the need to bring your pokemon."  
  
"On the contrary, I wasn't confident at all, so I left him to keep him out of danger," Ash said.   
  
"Isn't that sweet," Suzie said, rolling her eyes. "You're such an idealist. You treat pokemon as if they are human. They are things to be used and nothing more."  
  
There was a snort from the charizard in one of the cages.   
  
"They are intelligent creatures with feelings, Suzie, and it's because you seem to have forgotten this that you will never have their respect or mine," Ash calmly replied.  
  
A blastoise rumbled in what could have been agreement.   
  
"Their respect? I don't need or want their respect. They aren't of any importance. And as for you, your respect is just as worthless-"  
  
Suddenly, with a loud roar of "Blast!" Suzie was hit with a powerful water gun attack. She screamed as the water sent her flying across the room until she slammed into a desk, loosing consciousness.   
  
Ash smiled. "I told you they were smart," he said. "They knew exactly what you were saying."  
  
The faint sounds of footsteps in the hall beyond the lab warned that more agents were coming for him. Grabbing the key ring from Suzie's pocket he quickly went to the blastoise's cage.   
  
"Thank you," he said, letting the pokemon out.   
  
Ash went around the room quickly opening the cages and releasing all of the unnaturally evolved pokemon he had once trained with. "Can you all do me a favor?" he asked as the footsteps grew closer. "Just-go on a rampage."  
  
They looked at him in confusion.   
  
"I need a distraction. A bunch of powerful pokemon running through the building smashing things ought to be distracting enough."  
  
The charizard snorted in amusement and agreement. The blastoise, venasaur, pidgeot, and nidoking all nodded.   
  
The door burst open and agents poured into the lab and the pokemon sprung to action. With a swipe of his tail Charizard knocked a large amount of agents to the ground. Blastoise just broke through the wall and pounded down the hall, shooting water gun attacks at anyone and everyone.   
  
Pulling his bow from his back Ash jumped into the fray, knocking Rockets aside as he broke through the crowd, running down the hall and towards the elevators. Swiping James' ID card he quickly got into the elevators, the doors closing on the chaos in the hall.   
  
~*~*~  
  
Gary hung from his chains, hovering between the states of consciousness and unconsciousness. His breathing came in short rasps as he attempted to keep the sharp pain in his chest from becoming any worse.   
  
"Are you alright?" a man's voice asked from the cell next to him.   
  
Gary jumped, not having realized there was anyone else in the basement. "How long have you been over there?" Gary asked.  
  
"Well," the man replied, rather jovially Gary thought, considering the situation. "I've pretty much lost track of the days, but I think it's been a month or so."  
  
"You don't sound too upset about it."  
  
"I try to stay positive."  
  
Something about the man's voice struck a familiar chord in Gary.   
  
"You never answered my question, young man," the man said. "Are you alright?"   
  
Gary's eyes widened. He hadn't heard that voice call him young man since before he joined Team Rocket. "Gramps?" he asked softly.  
  
There was a long pause before the other man spoke. "Gary?"  
  
"You're alive?" Gary asked, feeling numb from shock.  
  
"Giovanni decided I could be useful to him alive," his grandfather responded.   
  
"What about May?" Gary asked desperately. "Mrs. Ketchum?"  
  
Silence for a few moments, then, "They were killed in the attack. As far as I know, everyone was."  
  
Gary hung his head, swallowing the lump in his throat.   
  
"Where have you been all these years?" his grandfather asked.   
  
Before he could answer the basement door slammed open. They both became quiet, waiting to see who it was and what they were coming to do.  
  
"Gary?" Ash called, concern evident in his voice.  
  
Relief rushed through Gary at the sound of his voice. Ash had come to help him, and he obviously hadn't been caught. "Over here," he called as loud as he could.  
  
Ash grabbed the keys from the wall and made his way to Gary's cell. He sucked in his breath when he saw his friend's battered form hanging from the ceiling. It was dark, but Ash could still see the bruises on Gary's face and the blood running down his arms from the metal chains around his wrists. His fists clenched in anger at whoever had done this to his friend.   
  
Opening the cell door Ash went to Gary's side, unlocking the chains that held him up. Ash caught him before Gary crumpled to the floor.   
  
"This is a trap," Gary told Ash, panting for breath as the pain of his injuries swept over him. "They know you're coming."  
  
"I know," Ash said, helping Gary to his feet. "I already had a run in with Suzie and a bunch of Rockets." With Gary's arm around his shoulders, he began to help him walk out of the cell. "We have to go quickly."  
  
"Wait," Gary said. "Get my grandfather out of here."  
  
Ash's head snapped towards him. "Professor Oak?" he called.  
  
"Right here," the older man answered, appearing behind the bars of the cell next to Gary's. He obviously hadn't been chained like Gary had. He looked thinner and older than Ash remembered him, but otherwise he appeared no worse for the wear.   
  
Ash helped Gary lean against the wall for support, then quickly let the professor out of his cell. Professor Oak immediately went to his grandson.   
  
"Gary, are you okay?" he said, worriedly looking over his injuries.   
  
"I'm fine, Gramps," Gary said quietly, looking anything but fine as he leaned against the wall, one of his bloody arms covering his abdomen.  
  
Ash looked around before hesitantly saying, "Is there...anyone else?"  
  
Both Oaks looked at him. "No young man," the professor said. "I was the only one."  
  
Ash's face fell.  
  
"I'm sorry Ash," Gary said sympathetically.   
  
Ash only nodded, feeling stupid he had allowed himself to hope.   
  
"Ash?" Professor Oak said. "You're here too," he said in astonishment, only just realizing who the young raven-haired man was. "You both look so much older," he said.  
  
All three looked up at the sound of loud crashes and what sounded suspiciously like a roar above them. Gary looked at Ash with raised eyebrows.   
  
Ash grinned sheepishly, muttering something about a distraction. "We need to get a move on," he said, sliding an arm under Gary's shoulder and helping him stand once more. "There's not much time."  
  
A/N: An update that didn't take three months! Aren't you all thrilled? Anyway, I tried not to end on a cliffhanger, since I seem to be doing that an awful lot lately. This was the best I could do. Please review.   
  
Also, has anyone by any chance drawn fanart for this or any of my other stories? I'd love to see them. 


	16. cha 16 new!

"Explain to me," a silky voice issued from the shadows of the office. "How they managed to escape when you _knew_ Satoshi would be coming for Shigeru?" 

"Sir," Butch said. His scratchy voice wavered slightly. "He set loose the unnaturally evolved pokemon. We were unable to get to the basement." 

Giovanni's chair turned and he icily regarded the agents standing rigidly in front of his desk. "You never should have _left_ the basement, Butch. You have failed me." 

Butch swallowed visibly. 

"However," Giovanni continued, folding his thick fingers together. "I'll give you a chance to make it up to me." 

He turned his attention to the blonde beside Butch. "Cassidy," he said sharply. "While you had nothing to do with this-" his eyes shifted to Butch "-mishap, you too have failed me multiple times concerning Satoshi and Shigeru. You, as well, may take this opportunity to make this up." 

Leaning back in his chair, he continued. "Find them. Shigeru is injured, they will not be able to travel quickly. Satoshi will be hindered, for he'll want to protect Shigeru as well as the good professor that they took with them. You should be able to take advantage of this and kill them all." 

Butch and Cassidy nodded. 

Giovanni spoke again, gesturing at the two agents next to them. "I would send these two to help you track, but I would like to believe you can handle this alone. Also, they seem to be more of a hindrance than a help as of late." He turned a cold gaze on James. 

"Sir!" James wailed, falling to his knees and clasping his hands together. "I'm sorry, please don't be angry! When Satoshi stole my ID card we tried to get it back, but-he's scary!" 

"Shut up, James," Jessie said, whacking him on the head. 

James remained on his knees whimpering. 

Butch rolled his eyes at the display. 

Giovanni sighed. "Butch, Cassidy, you know what to do. _ Do not_ let me down again. This is your last chance. Jessie, James, you would do well to remember that your chances are not limitless either. Now get out, all of you." 

James bowed several times as he backed out of the office. He let out a breath of relief when the door was closed and the four agents were in the hallway. 

"You're pathetic," Butch growled at him. 

Jessie and James exchanged glances. No matter how pathetic and degrading it was, the bumbling idiot act had kept them out of trouble many times. 

"Perhaps so, Butchy," James said with a grin. "But which of us is on his last chance?" 

Butch was silent. 

Jessie laughed quietly. "I wouldn't want my last chance to be dependent upon the destruction of Satoshi. It almost makes me wonder if the boss isn't tired of you two and sending you out on a suicide mission. Either they kill you or he does." 

Butch and Cassidy looked at one another, eyes widening. 

"Yeah, good luck there," James said with a wave as they walked past their fellow agents, who appeared to be on the verge of panicking. 

It had been ten days since Ash had gone after Gary. It was a three-day trip to Cerulean City from the Safari Zone so Misty had expected them to return at least three days before. She was worried. 

The sun glared down from the center of the sky, indicating that it was noon. There were few trees in the Safari Zone and little shade to protect the rebels from the oppressive heat. Misty's normally pale skin had picked up quite a tan, as had most of the others. 

She walked through the camp, her gaze wandering often to the outskirts of the Zone, hoping to catch a glimpse of her friends, and knowing that she wouldn't. 

"Misty!" she heard Brock's voice call. Turning, she saw him running towards her, sweat dripping from his face as the sun beat on them. "Guards at the gate say someone's coming towards the Safari Zone." 

"Ash and Gary?" she said, her eyes lighting up. 

"Maybe one of them," he said. "The person is alone, whoever it is." 

Misty's brows furrowed. "Why would one come back without the other?" Immediately she was worried again and she began to sprint to the gate. 

When she got there she was more confused than before. The man was neither Ash nor Gary. He pushed disheveled white hair from his face and his eyes fell on Misty and Brock. 

"Misty!" he exclaimed happily. "Brock! Just the two people I needed to see." 

"_Professor Oak?_" Misty said incredulously. "What are you..." 

"We thought you had-" Brock began. 

"Yes, yes," Professor Oak said, waving a dismissive hand. "I know. It is quite hot out here isn't it?" he commented, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. 

"What are you doing here?" Misty asked. 

"Oh, of course!" the professor said. "Ash sent me ahead to let you know they're on their way." 

"Where are they?" Brock asked. 

"A day behind I would venture," Professor Oak said. "My grandson's been having trouble. He keeps insisting that he's fine, stubborn mule, but he's got a few broken ribs, among other injuries, and he can't travel to far at one time." 

"Is he going to be okay?" Misty asked anxiously. 

"Ash says he'll be fine-of course he could just be saying that to appease an old man who's worried about his grandson." 

"I'm sure he's fine," Brock assured them both. 

"How are you feeling?" Ash asked over the newly lit fire. They'd stopped to camp for the night, after making their way back towards the Safari Zone through the forests; they were careful to stay off the main roads. They both knew that Giovanni would not be pleased to find that they had slipped out of his trap unnoticed. Ash had sent the professor ahead not only to tell Misty and Brock about their arrival, but also to keep him out of harm. 

"I'm fine," Gary said, shifting with a wince. 

"Yeah you look it," Ash said teasingly. 

"Well, next time you break a few ribs, let me know if you're feeling one hundred and ten percent. Why do you keep harassing me?" Gary snapped. 

Ash was taken aback at his response. Gary had been acting irate since he'd gotten him out of the cells six days before and Ash had no idea why. He'd even snapped at his grandfather, which had really surprised Ash. Gary had thought he was dead, Ash couldn't understand why he'd be anything but happy with the older man. "Okay, okay," he said, lifting his hands in defeat. 

Gary noticed the hurt look in his eyes as Ash pretended to brush off the hurtful words. He sighed. He didn't intend to be so mean; it wasn't fair or warranted. Gary just couldn't stop thinking about Butch's words, which hadn't had much of an effect on him in the cell, but the more he mulled them over the more he had to wonder if they weren't true. _You're nothing without Satoshi here to protect you. You're no threat at all._ Pulling his legs up to his chest, slowly to keep his ribs from protesting, he rested his chin on his knees. He'd heard the words before, usually from Butch or Cassidy, and occasionally from Giovanni when they were still in Team Rocket, but he never let them faze him the way they were now. 

After all, what did he really do? He allowed himself to get kidnapped, held up by gunpoint by Team Rocket and Lance. He was always depending on Ash to get him out of trouble. And Giovanni obviously wasn't concerned with him; he wanted Ash dead. Gary was an afterthought. And why should Giovanni care about him? It was Ash who was wonderful at everything, martial arts, the bow, training pokemon, leading. It all came natural to the raven-haired man. 

Silence had fallen between them, and he glanced at Ash, who was staring at the ground listlessly. 

"Ash," Gary said finally. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped." 

Ash regarded him for a moment, a pensive look upon his face. "Is something bothering you?" 

Gary didn't answer and Ash decided not to press him. Suddenly Gary blurted, "I'm pretty useless aren't I?" 

Ash looked at him, caught completely off guard. "What?" 

"I just cause you trouble. You're always saving me from something or another. I can't do anything for myself. Butch is right, I'm nothing without you." 

Ash gaped at him. So this was what had been bothering him? "Gary, what are you talking about? First of all, we both know Butch's brain power is much to low for him to think and speak at the same time, therefore, whatever comes out of his mouth is mindless drabble. You've saved me just as much, if not more than I've saved you. I'd have drowned on the way to Seafoam if you hadn't jumped in to get me. I would have died after Cassidy shot me, but you took care of me. I've never gone into a fight anything but comfortable when I know you're covering my back. I would be nothing without _you_, not the other way around." 

Gary seemed to contemplate this for a while, before saying, "I think we're nothing without each other." 

Ash nodded in agreement. "We're a good team." 

There was the soft snap of a twig from the dark forest surrounding them. Gary and Ash exchanged glances; they weren't alone. Machinegun fire erupted in the forest as several Rocket agents leapt into their campsite. 

Butch and Cassidy weren't taking any chances. They'd brought fifty of the best agents they could find, armed with heavy firepower. 

Ash and Gary leapt from the fireside, running further into the forest and taking refuge behind a cluster of trees. 

"Machineguns?" Ash muttered. 

"A little excessive, I'd say," Gary panted, clutching at his ribcage in pain. 

Chancing a glance, Ash looked out to see Rockets pouring over their campsite. "Jesus, there's at least thirty or forty." 

"Talk about overkill," Gary said. He reached for his weapon, then sucked in his breath. "I'm not going to be much good," he said. "I can barely hold my gun." 

"There's no way I can take forty Rockets with machine guns," Ash said. 

"What do you suggest we do?" 

"He who fights and runs away-" Ash said. 

"Lives to fight another day," Gary finished. "Agreed." 

Ash slipped his arm under Gary's shoulder and they both began to stumble through the woods, away from the gunfire. 

"Find them!" Butch screamed. "Don't let them leave this forest alive!" 

Cassidy ordered half of the men to circle around to surround their quarry. 

"Ash?" Gary asked, ignoring the pain in his chest as best he could. "Is it just me or is the gunfire now in front of us?" 

They stopped and listened for a moment. 

"Actually, it sounds like they've got us pretty well surrounded," Ash said, as there was now gunfire coming from all sides, moving closer. "Okay, new plan: up a tree." 

"That's the best you can do?" Gary muttered. "Up a tree?" 

"There's more," Ash said. "I just need you up a tree." 

"You are not fighting them by yourself." 

"I know," Ash said, walking Gary to the nearest tree. After some protest he allowed Ash to give him a boost up. 

As he climbed, Gary looked back down at Ash. "Ash, you are not fighting them-" 

"Gary, for the love of God, just climb the tree," Ash said in exasperation. 

The sound of Rockets shouting and gunfire drew closer. 

"Hey!" Ash suddenly cried. "I'm over here!" 

"Ash!" Gary hissed from above him. "What did I just say!" 

"Shh!" Ash said. "Don't let them know you're up there." 

There was a scrambling and Ash found himself quickly surrounded by Butch and Cassidy's squad of fifty. 

"Where's Shigeru?" Butch asked, appearing behind the circle his men had made around Ash. 

"Had to leave him behind," Ash said. "He couldn't keep up." 

"So you decided to draw our attention away from him and to yourself, Satoshi," Cassidy sneered. "How selfless." 

"Kill him," Butch commanded. 

The peril the Rockets had placed themselves in wasn't noticed until after Ash leapt into the air. He grabbed onto a low-lying branch and swung himself into a tree, quickly climbing until he was out of sight. 

The machine guns of the Rockets, however, had already been fired and without a target in the center the bullets hit the next target they could find: a person across the circle. 

Cassidy screamed in frustration as the majority of her troops fell dead or injured. She aimed her own machine gun into the air and began firing randomly at the trees above her. Butch and the remaining Rockets did the same. 

Ash took refuge high in the tree, behind the large trunk, listening to the bullets fly past him or dig into the poor tree's bark. In the tree next to him Gary did the same. 

The gunfire stopped and they both clearly heard the pop of a pokeball. Red light flashed briefly through the forest casting eerie shadows through the trees. 

"Please tell me that isn't the gyrodactyl," Gary whispered. 

"It's a mankey," Ash said. 

"How do you know?" Gary asked. 

"Call it a hunch," Ash said, staring at the furry white mankey that had just swung itself onto the branch he was standing on. It crouched low and nimbly crawled towards him, its large hands and feet easily holding onto the branch. The only warning it gave before its attack was a slight lowering of its body, but that was all Ash needed to see. He leapt to the nearest tree branch as the mankey sprang towards him, landing where Ash had stood moments before. 

The movement was exactly what the Rocket's needed to discern where he was. Gunfire began again, this time directed at the swaying branches. The mankey lunged again and Ash dodged, the pokemon soaring by him. It grabbed a tree limb above them, however, and flipped over the branch, slamming its large feet into Ash's chest. Ash lost his balance and began to fall, managing to grab a branch just in time. 

Gary watched anxiously as the mankey made its way to Ash again. It leapt high into the air and with a cry of "Mankey!" it landed on the branch Ash clung to, breaking it. Ash began to fall again, unable to find anymore tree limbs to save himself. He closed his eyes as the ground began to look much closer during his thirty-foot drop. There was a bright flash that he could see through his eyelids. When there was no impact, he carefully opened his eyes and was amazed to find himself back in a tree with Gary, who looked as astonished as he felt. There was another blinding flash and the two were sitting on the ground, staring at the Safari Zone in wonder. 

"What just..." Gary trailed off. 

"I have no idea," Ash murmured, slowly rising to his feet. Stars twinkled above them and there was no sign of trees or Rockets anywhere. Ash helped Gary rise and they turned in order to gain their bearings. Ash jumped and Gary let out a startled cry when they came face to face with a hooded figure in a black cloak, which had been standing behind them unnoticed. 

"Do not be alarmed." A calm feminine voice issued from the shadow under the hood. 

"Ala?" another voice asked. Ash and Gary watched as a yellow pokemon poked its head from behind her, spoons clutched in each of its hands. 

"An alakazam?" Gary asked. 

"Teleport," Ash said, understanding how they had gotten there. 

"That is right, Satoshi, Shigeru," she said, nodding to each of them in turn. Her covered hand came to rest on the alakazam's head. 

At the sound of their code names they tensed, and both made ready to draw their weapons. 

The woman seemed to recognize their discomfort instantly. "Forgive me, Ash, Gary. You may trust that I have no ties to Team Rocket." With that she removed her hood and long forest green tresses were caught in the wind, blowing away from her face. Midnight blue eyes calmly gazed at them from a pale emotionless face. 

"Sabrina," Ash said with quiet respect. 

"Sabrina!" Brock said, grasping the woman's hand in his own. Sabrina simply gazed at him, expressionless. "May I just say how lovely that cloak looks on you-" 

"Brock," Misty interrupted. "What are you doing?" 

"Admiring Sabrina, of course," he said, starry eyed. "She has blossomed into a beautiful young woman since last I saw her." 

"Brock, the last time you saw her she turned you into a doll," Misty said. 

"Oh. Right." Brock dropped her hand and took a few steps backwards. 

When Ash and Gary had returned with Sabrina a meeting of the leaders was quickly called. Now Misty, Brock, Erika and the Elite four all were sitting around a table in the mess tent, bleary eyed and yawning, but curious to the newcomer's purpose. 

"So Sabrina," Ash said, entering the mess tent with Gary, whose ribs had been bandaged. "To what do we owe this visit?" 

All eyes fell on the cloaked woman standing at the head of the table. "There recently have been many strange happenings. I have felt the life force of a great many pokemon as of late. They are abnormal though-in constant pain, and full of hate. I sensed that one had been here in the Safari Zone not long ago. The Zone also appeared to be a source of much pain and death. I was journeying here to find out what I could. On my way I heard gunfire in the forest and could sense two distressed souls. Alakazam teleported me to them then he teleported us here." 

"Thank you Sabrina," Ash said. "You saved our lives." 

Gary nodded in agreement. 

"How is it that you still have your pokemon?" Erika asked. "All the gym leaders were forced to give them up." 

"I never remain in one place long enough for Team Rocket to confiscate my pokemon. Just as the Elite four went into hiding, I, too, remained hidden." 

"You said you sensed many strange pokemon," Ash said. "Exactly how many?" 

"I cannot say for sure. Their life forces are chaotic and hard to pin down. I would venture a guess of fifty, perhaps more, perhaps less." 

Everyone watched as Ash's face grew grim. "It's as I feared. More of those hybrids are being bred. With an army of those..." he trailed off. 

"What's the big deal?" Lance spoke up. "Dragonite took out that thing with one attack." 

Gary stared at him. "You've become delusional. Give credit where credit is due. It was Pikachu, not your flesh craving crazed dragon that knocked out the gyrodactyl." 

"What?" Lance cried. "Why would I lie?" 

"I don't know," Gary said lightly. "Maybe because your cold black heart doesn't let you do things like tell the truth anymore!" 

Lance and Gary rose, looking as though they were about to lunge across the table and brawl. 

"That's enough!" Ash said, standing and putting a hand on Gary's shoulder. "That's not important right now," he said, gently pushing Gary back into his seat and glaring steadily at Lance until he sat as well. 

"You are right, Ash," Sabrina said. "Such arguments are of little relevance; however, Lance, as a member of the Elite Four, you disgrace yourself by lying to us." 

Lance's head snapped towards her, then lowered as his face took on an embarrassed flush. Gary broke into a grin and even Ash couldn't conceal the small smile on his face. 

'Thank you, Sabrina,' he thought, and wasn't surprised to see her nod at him in acknowledgement. She was not a woman to be taken lightly. 

There was a long silence, until the sounds of voices could be heard outside the tent. They listened carefully, then Ash and Gary exchanged glances when the word "Twerp" became discernable. 

"You know, I've been taller than they are for years. You would think they'd have stopped calling me that," Ash said. He strode to the entrance of the tent and came back moments later, dragging Jessie and James by the back of their shirts. 

"Not so rough," James whined. 

"What are you doing here?" Ash asked, setting them down. 

"Twerp," Jessie said, straightening her uniform. "Trouble ahead. Giovanni is absolutely livid at your latest escape from Butch and Cassidy. He's planning a full-scale assault on the Safari Zone. They march tonight. They'll be here in three days. Hybrids, elemental weapons, and a _lot_ of man power-not to mention everyone's being armed with our best weapons." 

"What?" Misty and Brock said in alarm, standing. 

"You need to get out of here as fast as you can," James chimed in. "There's no way you can withstand a force like this-not on the defensive." 

All the leaders were standing now and a panic began rising. 

Ash and Gary exchanged identical grins. 

"Look at them," Lance said. "They're actually smiling. You're spies after all!" 

"Be quiet you fool," Sabrina said. Gary liked her more every minute. 

"Prepare everyone to march," Ash said to Misty and Brock. 

"To march where?" Misty asked. 

"Team Rocket headquarters," Gary answered. 

"Leave the tents up so it looks like we're still here," Ash said. "By the time the Rockets realize we're gone we'll have attacked." 

"What?" Lorelei asked. 

"We want Giovanni. Take him out and Team Rocket stands leaderless and powerless. What better time to go after him than when most of his cronies are here, three days away?" Ash said. 

"Good plan, Twerp," James said. "But a word of warning: Suzie's managed to make a _lot_ of those hybrids, and Giovanni is keeping most of them at H.Q." 

"Well, that brings us back to our original problem," Misty said. "What can we do against an army of hybrids?" 

"If only we had some really powerful pokemon," Brock said. 

"Well, we have the Elite and Sabrina's pokemon," Erika said. 

Sabrina shook her head. "These pokemon are too great a force. Our pokemon cannot hope to defeat them." 

"No," Ash murmured. "But maybe..." he trailed off. Then suddenly: "Sabrina, can Alakazam teleport very long distances?" 

She nodded. "If I am with him." 

"Good." 

"Where are you going?" Gary asked. 

"I'll be back no later than the evening of the attack, hopefully with help. Get everyone ready and march out tonight. Take them through the woods and avoid roads or you'll have a run in with the army headed towards us." 

Gary nodded, knowing he wasn't going to get any answers from Ash. 

Ash mentally told Sabrina their destination and they disappeared from the tent.

* * *

A/N: Yay, another chapter. There's not much to say. I was wondering though, someone told me they had drawn fanart based on my fics and I was curious if anyone else had. I'd absolutely love to see it if anyone did. 


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